Lainey Stokes: American Idol
by bauerfreak
Summary: AU Snickers! Nick and Sara's sixteen year old daughter wants to enter the famous singing competition! But will all the pressure be too much for her to handle?
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Hey! So I'm getting a little crazy with the fics right now writing a few at the same time, but I just had to imagine Nick and Sara's kid on one of my other favorite shows. I'm just putting this out there to see if there's any interest, and I do plan on continuing my other fics! Please review and let me know if I should continue! Thanks!

"Are you out of your ever-lovin' mind?" A genuinely surprised and horrified Nick Stokes asked the two hopeful-faced females who had confronted him in the kitchen. "Absolutely not. I've seen that show and…." He waved his hand around mindlessly "Just…no. No, no, no."

"You've seen it once Nick, and Simon was in a really bad mood. You can't base it on that." Sara defended.

"Yeah, that was one time too many. No daughter of mine is going on that gallimaufry of a show."

"Galli-what?" Sixteen year old Lainey Stokes finally worked her way into the conversation. She had just learned that American Idol would be rolling into town this year for auditions and she was just the minimum age to enter. Lainey had her heart set on entering the famous show and she and Sara had been plotting just exactly how to ask Nick.

"See, you need to be in school." Nick tried to make excuses. "You don't even know what 'gallimaufry' means." The thought of his daughter entering a nationally televised singing competition that was known to be blatantly harsh and unforgiving scared the hell out of him. They had known all Lainey's life she was an amazing singer, but that didn't mean he wanted her to do anything with it.

"Daddyyyyyy…please!" Lainey took her father's hand in hers, shaking his lifeless and lethargic arms, trying to get him excited about it. Nick had a pretty sorry look on his face, and anyone could tell he was not excited about this idea. He'd always been protective of his daughter – he just didn't want her to get hurt.

Nick looked at his wife and daughter curiously, both of them looking like little kids pleading for him to buy them an ice cream cone. "I'll have to think about it."

Lainey dropped her father's arm and she frowned, because she knew that usually, that meant no, and she had a scowl on her face. When she saw the look he gave her back, she quickly dropped it.

"That's not a hint of attitude I detect, is it?" Nick crossed his arms.

"But dad, I really want to do this." She begged him. "Besides, it's just the first audition. I might not even make it past the first round."

"Sweetheart, that's what I'm worried about. I know that you'd make it past the first round and probably the second, but Lainey, you're only sixteen. There's a lot of bigger fish out there. I don't want you to be disappointed."

"I'm not expecting to make it to Hollywood or anything, dad. I just want to try it, just to say I did it."

"Nick, it'll be harmless. We'll go to a couple auditions and then we'll go from there." Sara reassured him, rubbing her daughter's back in support.

Nick ran a hand over his face in thought and then perched his hand on his chin.

"Your mother and I will discuss it, Lainey.' He finally said. Lainey breathed a little breath of hope. That was a little better than 'I'll think about it'. She had her mother to help convince him. And when her little sister Reagan found out she wanted to try out for her favorite show, she'd beg Nick to let her go. Nick was outnumbered in this household. He loved living with three girls, but it also usually left him on the losing side of many things. Nick was being 'estrogenized', as Warrick and Greg would tease him.

"Thank you, daddy." Lainey went to hug her father, knowing using that word would only help her. Nick hugged her back and gave her a kiss on the head before releasing her.

"Are you done with your homework?" He asked, ever-mindful of her schoolwork.

"No."

"Why don't you go finish it, okay, and your mom and I will talk."

"Okay." Lainey picked up her overweight backpack from the living room floor where she'd abandoned it after school and headed upstairs to her bedroom. She said a little prayer to herself as she went up the stairs, hoping her mom would be able to convince her dad to let her just try out. Lainey knew she was good and that she was born to perform. She couldn't think of a place she'd rather be than on the stage belting out a tune. Since she'd been talking, Lainey had been singing, and her parents hadn't been able to shut her up since. It was easy to see her passion – it was running through her like the blood through her veins.

Sara moved forward towards her husband with a smile on her face, tilting her head slightly to the side. Embracing him, she leaned back a little to look at him.

"Nicholas Stokes, you are so adorable when you're being overprotective."

Nick rolled his eyes and pulled Sara closer to him, smirking.

"I'm not being overprotective, Sar. I mean, you've seen Simon and what an 'ass' he can be." He said 'ass' in his best British accent, causing Sara to snicker.

"But Nick, honestly, how far do you think she would get? I mean, she's sixteen without a whole lot of big crowd experience. She'd kill me if she heard me say this, but she is a little raw. What harm could there be in just letting her try and burn off that excess energy you complain about her having?"

Nick chuckled a little bit and then cleared his throat. The girl was constantly singing at the top of her lungs – listening to her iPod, cooking, cleaning, doing homework, in the shower…everywhere. Maybe this would help her get it out of her system. Not that she annoyed him – Lainey could never annoy him – but, man, she loved to sing. How could he deny her that?

"Aaaaalriiiight." He finally gave in, sighing theatrically.

The two parents heard an excited, girlie scream from the landing of the stairs where Lainey had been secretly listening to every word they said. They both looked up to where the noise came from and shook their heads.

"Lainey Elizabeth Stokes, get your butt down here!" Sara called.

Lainey did as she was told and came down the stairs, hands clasped politely in front of her with a huge grin plastered on her face. She looked like she had just won the lottery. To her, it was.

"Lainey, how long have you been standing there?" She asked her daughter, putting a hand on her hip, pretending to be angry.

"Long enough to know daddy's answer!" She said sweetly, trying to sound innocent.

Nick took her in a headlock and mussed up her hair and Lainey started squealing in protest.

"What you didn't hear was the last part of my answer, which was, 'Alright, we'll give her up for adoption'. You little booger." Nick released her from his grasp and gave her another kiss on the head. Lainey immediately turned in his arms and gave him a big bear hug.

"Thank you thank you thank you!" She squealed again. Sara was the next to get a hug by the over exuberant teenager. Ow. "I have to go call Justin!" Lainey announced, referring to her boyfriend.

"I think we've created a monster." Nick declared, turning back again to his wife. He gave her long, slow, deep kiss, pulling her body closer to his. Sara moaned and then pulled away after a moment.

"Just wait until she tells Reagan."

"Oh God!" He leaned back, imagining yet another squealing young girl on top of what they'd just experienced.

"Nick, seriously, she'll be fine. She's a good kid." Sara patted his upper chest and then tried to calm him, running her hands up and down the same area.

"I know." He agreed. "But it's the other kids and that damn Simon Cowell I'm worried about."

"Well I think your Texas twang can take his wimpy, prissy, British joke of a voice." (A/N: Both my parents are British and I love them, so I can poke a little fun)

Nick laughed and was once again amazed at the way his Sara could calm him down. They leaned in for another kiss, the sounds of a zealous Lainey making phone calls in the background.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Howdy, readers! Sorry I neglected this story a bit, but I've been really excited about a few of my other fics. I'm headed to the Chi tomorrow until Tuesday, so don't know when I'll update this or other stories. I'm taking my notebook with me! Enjoy and review please!

"I cannot believe your parents are actually letting you do this." Seventeen year old Justin Grissom told his girlfriend over the phone. They'd been dating now for about a year and had known each other all their lives, because their parents worked together. The pair were often babysat together and their closeness had only grown over the years. Justin knew how overprotective Nick was of his daughter. Even though Nick had known the kid all his life, he still faced long interrogations every time he took Lainey out. Nick Stokes was strict enough that Justin never would imagined he'd allow her to do this.

"I'm still trying to get over it myself." Lainey smiled back through the telephone, still giddy from the news. "Mom really convinced him. But, I…" she stopped, "I don't think they're expecting me to go anywhere. That's why they let me."

The one thing Justin knew about Lainey for sure was that she loved singing – she lived for it – and she had a determination to match. Lainey had watched the show religiously since the first season, idolizing every singer on there. She drove her parents nuts when the show was on.

"Lain, you can't let them get you down. If you want to get through, you can. No one can stop you, not even Simon."

Lainey laughed at his comment. Simon always told it how it is, never holding back. He always made a lot of sense and most of the time he was right, but he was just so damn mean about it! Simon was the only thing she really feared about going on the show…if she even made it past the rounds for them to hear her. Well, she'd seen the show – they let tons of idiotic, tone-deaf morons on there. Why shouldn't she get through?

Lainey heard a knock at her door and her father stepped in, with a four-year old Reagan Stokes in tow. "Hey, I've gotta go. I'll talk to you more tomorrow, alright? Love you too. Bye."

Nick cringed at the fact she'd uttered that word. She was only sixteen for crying out loud and she thought she was in love. Nick liked Justin – he really did – but the trouble was that he was a boy. And he was going after his daughter.

When Lainey hung up, her eyes immediately fell to her little sister, who had her hand in her mouth with a big smile on her face. She'd just gotten back from a friend's house and Sara and Nick had told her the news. Lainey gave a big smile and held out her arms to her sister, crouching down.

"Hey, girly-girl!" Lainey told her sister. "I missed you so much!" The little girl ran into the arms of the older sister she idolized. Reagan absolutely adored Lainey and thought she was the greatest thing ever and could do no wrong. And now her big sis was going to be on American Idol!

"I missed you too, Nini!" She'd never been able to pronounce Lainey's name when she was very small, so she'd just called her Nini, and the name stuck. Nick smiled at the girls' interaction. He was so thankful that they loved one another so much and that Lainey was so great with her.

"Hey dad, what's up?" She threw the cordless to her bed and stood up, taking Reagan with her. Nick glanced down at his watch, raising his eyebrows.

"It's almost seven o'clock, Lainey, and it's a school night. I bet you've got some schoolwork to do." He told her.

The teenager had pretty much lost track of time from all the excitement and knew if her dad was going to let her continue on with her 'shenanigan', she'd have to be on her best behavior.

"Okay…" She groaned a little bit. Lainey walked over to him and threw her free arm around him once again. "Thank you so much, daddy. You have no idea how excited I am about this."

"Oh, I'm pretty sure you'll be displaying that excitement loudly for the next few days." Nick sighed as he rocked her back and forth a little roughly, trying to get a rise out of her. When both of them squealed, he turned his attention to the curly-headed squirt in Lainey's arms. "And it's time for this little booger's bath!" He tickled her side a little bit.

"Noooooo! I wanna stay with Lili longer!" She begger her father, putting on her best puppy-dog face. Reagan had long since figured out how to get to her dad's heart, having watched Lainey expertly.

"You have fifteen minutes, and then both of you need to get to it." He reasoned with them.

"Thanks, daddy!" They answered in unison, and Lainey twirled around in place, sending Reagan into squeals of joy again. Nick just shook his head and left the two girls to bond.

"Are you gonna be famous, Lili?"

"I don't know, baby doll. Maybe." She threw her sister on the bed and joined her. "If Simon doesn't get in my way."

"I hate that Simon guy. He's mean!" Reagan had watched the show with her sister and knew that Simon was bad news. She hated the way that mean man treated all the singers. What a poophead!

"I know he is. But you know what LeAnn would say…" Lainey smiled, referring to one of their favorite country singers, LeAnn Womack. 'I Hope You Dance' was practically their theme song, and Reagan requested the song constantly. Reagan beamed, knowing her sister was going to break into song.

"_I hope you never fear those mountains in the distance,_" She sang, filling up the house with her beautiful, angelic voice. "_Never settle for the path of least resistance. Living might mean takin' chances, but they're worth taking. Lovin' might be a mistake, but it's worth making…"_

Lainey's voice echoed down the stairs to where Nick and Sara were cuddling on the sofa.

"She's at it again." Sara smiled, as her husband stroked at her shoulder with his thumb, his arm draped around her.

"Why again did I agree to this?" Nick raised his eyebrows and studied his wife.

"Because you love her dearly and want her to follow her dreams, no matter how scary it is for you." She explained, mostly lecturing to her husband.

"Yeah, yeah." He sighed. Nick still wasn't quite happy about this. He wanted Lainey to be happy, but her going into this contest scared the hell out of him. He'd didn't want her world to come crashing down when she didn't make it. Sara put her hand to Nick's chest to comfort him.

"Nick, your daughter's braver than you, you big baby." She slapped his chest lightly.

"I know she is." Nick admitted. He'd never be able to do what Lainey did – go on stage without ever being nervous, singing her heart out for the world to hear without given it a second thought. Even though she was only sixteen, Nick admired her in a way. She was such a cool kid to him. She amazed him every day.

"And you have nothing to worry about." Sara reassured him, and rested her head on his shoulder. Tomorrow, they would take her down to register for the show, signing away her life to be shown on television, be interviewed, and put under a microscope if they saw fit. Sara and Nick were scared to death, but based on the sounds coming from upstairs, Lainey would take the day like a pro – like a grain of salt. The two parents knew she was well-grounded and down-to-earth, and that no matter what happened, Lainey would make them proud.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: You can say it. I'm an asshole. I haven't been updating this story. I'm sorry.  In case y'all don't know MrsEads, she is one crazy gal. Her review stating that she was going to write my next chapter if I didn't update soon drove me to finally update. And plus, we made a deal – now she has to write two chapters of her fic "All You Need is Love" (go check it out!). Here's your extra-early bday present, Chloe: (I'll update sd soon too!)

"Lainey Stokes!" Ryan Seacrest called. "You're next!"

Lainey couldn't believe that she'd actually made it through all the preliminary rounds with all the half-ass judges and had actually gotten to the auditions with Simon, Paula, and Randy. Well, actually she could. Lainey was an avid viewer of American Idol and knew the kind of pussies that got through. She had to give herself some credit – she was pretty good. And that Ryan Seacrest was just dreamy…

"Good luck, sweetheart. We know you can do it." Sara told her daughter, bringing her in for one last hug. Reagan clung to her leg, and Nick stood behind her, his hands in his jeans pockets, along with Justin. They'd all come down to support her. The Stokeses wouldn't miss their chance to be on TV!

Just then, Ryan came up to the family, seeking one of his revealing interviews with a contestant.

"Lainey Stokes!" He said in his animated way. "How are you feeling right now?"

Lainey turned around and smiled, though she was really nervous.

"Um….okay, I guess. I've got my family here with me."

"Would you like to introduce them to the country possibly?"

The family's eyes lit up at the possibility of being on TV, and their pride of Lainey.

"Yeah." She gestured back to her parents first. "These are my parents, Nick and Sara Stokes. They're criminalists here in Vegas. This is my little sister Reagan. And this is my boyfriend Justin." She grinned when Justin jumped his eyebrows up and down. Reagan was trying to act all cute, knowing it would always attract attention. Ryan noticed, and kneeled down to her eye level.

"Reagan Stokes, do you think your sister will be the next American Idol?"

"Yeeeeess!" She grinned, her hands clasped behind her back. Reagan was just loving this, eating every second up.

"And why do you think so?"

"Cuz she's a good singer and she can dance too, but daddy doesn't like that." She said with all the honesty of a four year old. The family's faces turned a little red and they laughed to shrug it off. Nick would lock Lainey up in a castle if he could.

Ryan stood up and turned his attention to Nick.

"Mr. Stokes, what do you think about Lainey wanting to be the next American Idol?"

Nick paused for a moment, his mouth trying to form a word, but he struggled.

"Well, you know, she's always loved singing, and….dancing. And she's just following her heart, so I could never have a problem with that."

"Blessings from dad!" Ryan said, "And now, it's time to see just what Lainey Stokes can do! Lainey, you're up!"

Lainey took a deep breath and smiled at her family. But they knew her well, and knew that smile meant she was really nervous. Nick gave her a wink as she turned to walk into the judging room. There was nothing they could do to help her now. It was up to Lainey.

Lainey walked into the room as confidently as she could. She wore a pair of black capris, and two layered gray and white muscle tees. Her fingernails were painted the regular black, and a pair of black Old Navy flip flops finished off the get-up. Lainey wasn't goth by any means, but she did like to wear black.

"Hi there." Paula gently called out to the visibly nervous teen. While watching the show, Lainey would frankly get sick of Paula's nature. She always had something nice to say, even if things were awful, making praise seem unbelievable from her sometimes. Now she was auditioning, Lainey couldn't be more relieved to see the friendly face, as Randy and Simon were staring blankly at her.

"Hello!" She sounded cheerful.

"You look an awful lot like Simon, dawg." Randy told her, referring to her black clothing. Simon was also wearing his usual black long-sleeved shirt. He rolled his eyes at the comment, but seemed to smile a bit.

"Hopefully that will do me good." She said.

"Aw, God." Simon said in his English accent. "We've got one from Texas, haven't we?"

"Well, my daddy's from Texas, but I guess I picked up his accent." She smiled, her hands behind her back.

"And a daddy's girl." He commented, and Lainey didn't think it was supposed to mean a good thing.

"What are you going to sing for us today, Lainey?" Paula asked, resting her clasped hands under her chin and smiling sweetly.

"Born to Fly by Sara Evans." Lainey said eagerly. She'd spent days trying to find the perfect song for auditions, and she felt she really did find it. Country music was in her roots, mixed up with a lot of rock. The hopeful nature of the song seemed to fit her mind frame and would let her personality come out.

"Show us what you've got, baby." Randy encouraged her.

Lainey took a deep breath before beginning.

_My daddy, he is grounded like the oak tree  
And my mom, she is steady as the sun  
Oh, you know I love my folks  
But I keep staring down the road  
Just looking for my one chance to run_

Yeah, cause I will soar away like the blackbird  
I will blow in the wind like a sea  
I will plant my heart in the garden of my dreams  
And I will grow up where I'll wander wild and free

Oh, how do you wait for Heaven  
And who has that much time  
And how do you keep your feet on the ground  
When you know that you were born  
You were born to fly

As she finished, she shrugged her shoulders a little, still a bit embarrassed by being a soloist, but gave them a big grin.

"Well, Lainey, I think your voice shows a lot of youth and energy, and I could just feel it spilling over. Loved it." Paula said. She turned to look at Randy.

"Yo, yo, yo, dawg. I like how you kept it real. I can tell you're a country girl, sticking to your roots, man. And, yeah, you got a good voice. Simon?"

Simon paused dramatically and put his pen on the table that he'd been clicking while the others spoke.

"You know, Lainey." Her name came out funny when he said it. "That reminded me of a karaoke performance of a Carrie Underwood song. Didn't do anything for me. And you were pitchy in places." He stared back at the young girl, totally unforgiving and not understanding at all that she was just sixteen years old and had feelings.

"So that's a no from you." Randy clarified, and Simon leaned back in his chair, not even answering. "Paula?"

"I would love to have a sweet girl like you on the show. It's definitely a yes." She clapped her hands together.

Randy's eyes shot up at Lainey, knowing he was the deciding vote. Lainey always hated the drama they created on the show.

"Welcome to Hollywood, dawg!" Randy yelled, and clapped his hands.

Lainey squealed and put her hands up to her mouth, crouching down slightly.

"Oh thank you thank you thank you!" She spurted out, jumping up and down a little. She raced to the door, grabbing the piece of paper that solidified her ticket to Hollywood. Lainey came out yelling and jumping, finding her family waiting anxiously outside the door. As soon as they saw her, they all erupted in cheering, and brought her into a group hug.

The next few minutes was a whirlwind of emotions. Well, mostly screaming and jumping up and down. Nick pulled her into a big bear hug and kissed her head.

"I'm so proud of you." He told her. "I can't believe you're going to Hollywood. I've never even been there!"

Lainey pictured her dad in California. He would definitely not fit in. She giggled and just hugged him back. The teenager knew that she'd have to make it through to the final twelve to get to invite her family out.

The happy family of four, plus Justin, walked out of the hotel, still hugging and congratulating Lainey. She couldn't be more ecstatic, but now she'd have to prepare for the next round – where she'd be by herself. At first, she thought it would be awesome, but Lainey felt her smile wane a bit as she thought of life without her family. She was going to Hollywood…alone.

Btw…I kept writing Mally instead of Lainey…oopsie. I hope I didn't miss any.


	4. Chapter 4

OMG Was the last CSI the most perfect episode ever or what? First of all, Nick looked so friggin' hot with his hair back to normal. All the character's versions of the story were hilarious and totally true to their personalities (I loved Grissom's rhyme!), and last but definitely not least….SHIRTLESS NICK! I love the writers now. Anyways…please review!

A very nervous Lainey Stokes waited with twenty-five other contestants in one of the four hotel rooms in Hollywood. She couldn't believe she'd gotten through all the stages she had so far – the a capella, the singing groups – they were all really nerve-racking, but she'd gotten through it! It had been a tough week for Lainey, being one of the youngest contestants on the show. There were a couple, but not many, high school students mixed in with the crowd, and sometimes she felt like a baby. She had hardly any experience, but she was here.

The hardest part so far was being away from her family and boyfriend for so long. At this stage in the competition, the show wouldn't pay for family members to fly out and watch their children, because there were so many left. She was on the phone with them multiple times a day, and missed them all like crazy. Reagan had actually cried on the phone last time when she'd called, because she missed her big sister so much. Lainey could tell her parents were trying to sound happy, but she knew they missed her like crazy too.

Lainey had made friends with some of the contestants, and she held hands with one of her best friends on the show, Colin Jennings. He was eighteen years old and a senior in high school. Since there weren't many people their age, they latched onto each other and were quickly forming a friendship. They clung to each other when they saw Randy, Paula, and Simon enter the room.

Just like on TV, you couldn't tell one way or the other what they were thinking. They were good actors, because no one knew whether they were going home or not. Lainey missed her family, but she didn't want this journey to end just yet. Back at home, she had become famous, being a contestant on American Idol. She dreaded going home and not being able to be her old self. Would they look at her different? What would they think of her? What if she lost and had to go back? What if she won and could never go back?

"Well, guys, you know this part is always really hard." Paula started, clasping her hands together. Randy and Simon both looked down and mopey. Lainey knew better than to automatically assume they were over. This was part of the whole drama. "You've come so far, and we always have to let some of you go."

"I want you guys to know you've all worked really really hard, and you should be proud of yourselves." Randy told them with serious eyes. A long pause. "Because you're staying! You guys made it!" He clapped his hands together as all the contestants started hugging and screaming and jumping up and down. Lainey was so elated that she'd made it to the next round. She and Colin hugged and jumped up and down, spinning around. They were both so happy at that moment.

Lainey had promised her family she'd call as soon as she'd heard anything, so she tried to find a quiet corner in the room, which wasn't much use, and dialed her home number.

"Hello?" Her father answered in his comforting, all-too-familiar voice. Lainey realized she wanted to jump into his arms and stay there forever at that moment. The sound of his voice was so comforting at that moment, and it brought her down to earth and made her want to cry at the same time. She missed him so much. Lainey had to practically yell over the celebration.

"Daddy?" She sniffled, not knowing why she was so emotionally distraught. It was a combination of happiness, disbelief, fondness, and loneliness.

"Lainey, is that you?" He asked her on the other end. He was currently in the kitchen fixing supper, with Reagan attached to his leg. Lainey heard him shush a babbling Reagan in the background.

"Daddy, it's me! I made it! I'm going to the next round!" She told him, excitedly, putting her finger in her other ear.

"Really, that's great!" He told her. Nick was so proud of what she had done. He could never perform on stage like she did. "I can hardly tell from all the noise." He commented, chuckling.

Lainey could picture her father standing there, his laugh lines spreading across his face as he laughed. He was probably stroking Reagan's head, trying to keep her entertained while juggling the dinner. Lainey felt tears stinging her eyes, and fought to hold them back. She had to beg her father to let her do this. What would he think if she was homesick? She didn't want him to think she was ungrateful.

"They're all pretty excited." She told him.

"Yeah, I bet they are. Did your friend Colin make it?"

Lainey looked back to see Colin watching her from across the room.

"Yeah, he did. He's here with me."

"Well, I'm glad he did too. It's good you're making friends there."

"I can't wait for you to meet him. He's really cool."

"I'll bet." Nick commented, not approving of any male companions she racked up. "Reagan's here. You wanna talk to her?"

"Lee Lee!" She heard her sister scream from the floor.

"Yeah, put her on. I love you, dad."

"Love you too, baby. Here's your sister."

Nick carefully handed his youngest daughter the phone, helping her cradle it to her ear for a few moments before he knew she had it.

"Lee Lee! Didya make it?"

"Yes, I did!" She exclaimed. Hearing her little sister made her want to hop on a plane that instant. She missed Reagan so much, and knew she missed her big sister as well. "I'm in the top fifty."

"You're gonna win!" Reagan told her, teasing a little bit. In her mind, Lainey was already the American Idol. She rocked because she was her big sister.

"We'll see. There's a lot of good singers here."

Sara was motioning for Reagan to hand the phone over, so she said goodbye to her sister.

"Love you, sissy." She told her.

"Love you too, Rea."

"Hey, Lainey! I heard you made it!" Sara said, practically squealing with excitement. She couldn't wait to come out to Hollywood to visit her daughter, and missed her desperately. What would she ever do when she went to college? Or if she actually won?

"I miss you guys so much." Lainey confessed to her mother, not sure if she would be able to control herself anymore.

"We miss you too, Delainey." Sara told her, taking a moment to just listen to her daughter breathe. She could tell Lainey was upset and excited at the same time. It was a tough position for a sixteen year old. Finally, after her mother had used her real first name, something she normally only did in comfort when she knew Lainey was upset, the sixteen year old started sobbing.

"Are you okay, sweetheart?" Sara walked to another room, so she wouldn't upset Reagan.

"No…" She sobbed, "I mean yes. I don't know. I'm having such a great time, but I miss you guys so much!" Lainey managed to get out before she started sobbing again.

"I know, sweetheart. We miss you too." Sara wished she could hug her over the phone and hold her until she stopped crying like she always did when they were together. "Try to take some deep breaths." She instructed her daughter. "Can you sit down somewhere?"

"Y-yeah." She looked around a little bit, and finally just sat on the floor and put her head in her free hand, trying to calm herself.

"Good girl. Just breathe for a minute." Sara was concerned, and took a seat on the sofa. Nick had since dished out Reagan's dinner and joined his wife in the living room. He could tell Lainey must have taken a turn for the worse after talking to Sara. When Nick was on the phone with her, her voice didn't sound quite right, but he didn't want to push Lainey into confessing anything. Nick sat next to his wife and rubbed her back, because he could tell she was upset too. Lainey's absence had been tough for the whole family. There was a big hole in their home.

All three Stokeses just sat there for a minute or so, waiting for Lainey to calm down.

"Lainey?" Sara called her daughter. "Are you okay?"

"I'm better now." She said after a few moments, but really just wanted to go to bed. What she really wanted at that moment was to curl up on her parents' bed with her little sister, the whole family just laying there together; just being together.

"Do you have to do anything else tonight?"

"No." She looked over her shoulder to see if anyone had been watching her breakdown. Lainey was mortified to see Colin standing about six feet away, looking concerned.

"Then why don't you just go up to your room and watch a little TV, and relax for a while." Her mother's voice was so calm and patient and caring, and her suggestion made a lot of sense. "The Cosby Show is on in a few minutes. Why don't you watch it, and we'll watch it too. You can call us to talk about it if you need to."

"Okay, mom. I will." Her voice was sounding a little stronger.

"Alright. I love you, Lainey." She said tenderly.

"I love you too, mom."

Lainey hung up the phone and turned to see Colin. He came over and sat next to her, putting an arm around her shoulder. They'd had an unspoken connection so far, and they both knew what kind of pressure they were under.

"Are you okay, Lainey? Do you need to go home?" He asked her, concern lacing his voice.

"No, no." She told them, wiping her eyes. "I'm just a little homesick. Not a big deal. I'll be fine."

Colin smiled, knowing how she felt. He had left home in Texas for the first time also, but it wasn't as big a deal to him as it was to Lainey.

"You'll be alright." He told her, pulling her tight. "Did you want to go upstairs and watch TV for a while to calm you down?"

"Yeah, that's what my mom told me to do." She smirked. It was like he'd read her mind.

"Let's go." He told her, and he helped her stand, taking her hand. Lainey was surprised when he didn't let go, leading her out of the room, away from the other contestants. As Colin took her up to her room, she couldn't help but wonder what was going on between them, and if this was okay. What would Justin think? What would her parents think? Lainey realized she didn't really care when they got up to her room, and she quickly fell asleep.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Hey guys! Again, my apologies for not updating this story as regularly as I would like. Chris should still be there cough cough. Sorry, I must've had something in my throat. Anyways, the last few weeks of school are just hell for teachers, if you didn't know (their brains are already on vacation!), and there's crazy paperwork to be done, so please bear with me! When it's over, I can write more! Woo hoo! Please review.

The next morning, Lainey awoke to an empty bed, thankfully. She'd woken up several times in the night to find Colin next to her, sleeping over the covers, but still she had an uneasy feeling about it. Lainey knew she should ask him to leave, but she didn't have the heart. What would her parents say if they were here? She would never be allowed to have a boy stay in her room, or even in her house, back at home.

Though she wanted to stay in forever with the exhausting schedule the contestants maintained, Lainey forced herself out of bed when she heard the door knock. She figured it was her normal eight o'clock wake up call, but she was met with the most wonderful surprise on the other side of the door.

"Lee lee!" Regan screeched from her position on Nick's hip, as she reached her arms out. Lainey took a second to process who it was, and then she was so overjoyed, she started crying.

"Regan! Mom! Dad!" She squealed, as she pounded into the threesome for a group hug. Sara and Nick saw the tears streaming down their daughter's face, and knew it was out of happiness, but little Regan didn't understand.

"You don't want to see us, Lee lee?" She practically whimpered. Lainey smiled and took her sister from her dad's arms, enveloping her in an embrace.

"Of course I'm glad to see you, Reagan. I'm just crying happy tears."

"Well stop." She said bluntly.

Lainey smiled at her parents from her current state and stepped inside her hotel room, receiving another warm hug from them both.

"We thought we'd surprise you, because you seemed down yesterday." Sara told her as she looked around the room. It looked just like her bedroom at home now, after weeks of living there. Clothes were strewn everywhere, along with all her personal care items. Sara subconsciously took a big whiff of the air, and found she noticed that she recognized her daughter's distinct scent. It was a smell that hadn't been around at home since she'd been gone. For the first time, she realized how much she missed such a simple little thing, and savored be surrounded by it.

"How'd you get here?" She asked as she sat down on one of the beds. Lainey was thankful that the other bed was at least made, so it didn't look like she was having people over at all hours. It had been odd, living without parents. At first, Lainey thought she'd be taking advantage of her newfound freedom, but truthfully, she was too busy to. She had to have a mandatory three hours of schooling a day, since she was still in high school, which was an added pressure other contestants didn't have to deal with.

"We actually splurged and flew over." Nick told her. "We wouldn't want to take this little nut across country in a car for long periods of time." Nick grabbed his youngest daughter and tickled her a little, then brought her into a hug, planting loud kisses on her cheek. Reagan squealed, and was happy the rest of the time jumping on the beds (which her parents kept telling her not to), and running from person to person. Nick and Sara asked their daughter about the other contestants, and the long days, and how she liked her private tutor. It was all just…different. And she wasn't sure if it was a good different or a bad different.

Nick and Sara had arranged to take a few days off each, and Sara would stay until the top twelve were announced to support her daughter. They all figured Sara would be taking Lainey home at the end of the week, but the family got one of the biggest surprises of their lives when the judges voted her into the top twelve.

"Hello, everyone, and welcome to your top twelve!" Ryan Seacrest announced to America the first night. Lainey was hardly ever nervous of performing, but she had never performed live for an entire country! She got a good luck call from Justin, her dad, and Reagan just before the show started, and she knew her mom was out in the audience.

"Tonight's guest judge is the famous CTU operative, Jack Bauer! He's taking a night away from yelling, torturing others, and finding out what that damn conspiracy is, to join us here tonight. For those of you who may not know, Jack was a modern dance major in college before switching to criminology. Let's give a warm welcome to…Jack Bauer!"

The audience erupted in cheers, but looked a little suspicious, of the slightly short, otherwise unintimidating man sitting at the judges' table. He sat next to Simon, who was eyeing him curiously, and keeping his distance. For once, Simon Cowell was a little afraid.

"I'm very happy to be here, Ryan!" Jack practically yelled, causing everyone to jump. He kept looking around suspiciously, expecting someone to jump out of the balcony. "I'm a big fan."

If Sara's eyes didn't deceive her, he was actually wearing a bullet-proof vest, and an earpiece. Freak.

"Alright, let's get it started with Colin!" Ryan announced. Lainey's friend made his way on stage and performed a pretty good version of "Secret Agent Man", which went along with the law enforcement theme for the night. Afterwards, the judges gave their evaluations.

"Yo, yo, dawg. Wasn't your best performance, man, It was just a'ight for me, man." Randy put a finger up to his mouth and shook his head a little as the audience booed. On to Paula.

"Colin," She began, clapping her palms together, "I love your style. Your outfit looks great tonight, and your vocals matched." Paula performed her trademark "Nutty Professor – Hercules! Hercules!" handclap, a huge grin on her face, and no one took her seriously. Simon glanced at Paula momentarily.

"Colin, I thought that was indulgent and ghastly. A drunken, constipated chipmunk could do better." He said, with no smile. The audience booed once more, but the people watching on TV burst out laughing, and agreed totally with Simon. Jack looked thoughtful as the camera turned to him.

"I've lost a lot of good men before," He said in his important-sounding, rushed whisper, "And your singing reminded me of their cries. That was awful!" He screamed. "Dammit!" Jack's face turned red from all the emotion, and the camera quickly pulled away.

After a few more mediocre performances, it was finally Lainey's turn. She nervously took the stage, but inside was still very excited and anxious to share her singing with America. Lainey got away with performing Madonna's _Beautiful Stranger_, since it appeared in _Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me_.

Nick and Reagan watched in awe from their home in Las Vegas as they watched Lainey perform. She'd always been a ham growing up, putting on performances for her parents, and anyone who would watch. All the goofy practicing had done her well, because she moved like a pro around the stage. Nick couldn't believe it was Lainey he was watching. She looked like she'd been a star for years. When she finished, the crowd erupted in cheers, and Lainey was relieved she'd gotten through her first live national tv performance.

"Yo, yo, yo! We got a hot one tonight!" Was all Randy had to say after her performance. He pumped his fist in the air, and some of the crowd chanted "woo woo" along with him.

"Lainey, you know, you are just so darling and Southern. I just love you. You are what this competition is all about." The crowd cheered again, and Paula beat her palms together.

"Didn't do anything for me. Sorry." Simon said simply. Lainey had a feeling Simon would be her arch nemesis this entire experience. She just couldn't get him to like her. Simon seemed to be opposed to letting her get through each and every round. By miracle, it seemed, she'd gotten through to the top twelve, and Simon wasn't happy about it.

"Where is the bomb?" Jack demanded, looking straight at Lainey. She gave him a confused expression. "Right there! You're the bomb!" Jack exclaimed, and clapped his hands together. Lainey gave an awkward smile, trying to be a good sport, but that was about the worst joke she'd ever heard in her life.

The crowd clapped also after an uncomfortable silence. Jack Bauer should definitely stick to solving conspiracy, terror attacks, and psychotic sleep-cell families.

Sara found her daughter after the competition was over, and Lainey practically ran to her mother.

"Mom! It was so awesome! That was so much fun! I never dreamed I'd be performing on national TV!" She rambled on, her sentences running together.

"I know! I know! You were wonderful, Lainey!" Sara said from her hug. "I was so proud of you. And I know daddy and Reagan are too."

Lainey and Sara made their way back to the hotel after a little celebration with the other contestants, both exhausted, but still excited from it all. Sara didn't see how her daughter kept up with this lifestyle. It was all go, go, go. She had a chance to talk to Lainey's private tutor earlier in the week, and she assured Sara that her daughter was doing just fine, but as a mother, she still worried. It was all a lot to handle for a sixteen year old.

Lainey savored every minute she had with her mother, because tomorrow she would have to fly back to Las Vegas. Nick and Sara were working out their schedules so that one or the other would be in Hollywood with Lainey each week at the performance. They didn't plan too far ahead though, because they assumed their daughter would probably go home soon. Not that they didn't have faith in their daughter, but it was amazing that she'd gotten this far. Nick and Sara didn't want their daughter to be disappointed when she was surrounded by much older, more experienced contestants.

Although they'd been sleeping in separate beds, Sara felt her daughter crawl into bed with her after they'd shut off the lights. She smiled as Lainey snuggled in tight to her mother, savoring their last few hours together. But she knew her dad would be flying in just a few days…if she made it to the next round.


	6. Chapter 6

Lainey Stokes had survived yet another week of elimination, and she couldn't be more elated. She was really starting to love this new lifestyle, though she was really tired. But she was too excited to settle down and sleep for long periods of time. Lainey tried to take power naps, but would often be awoken by some excitement going on around her. The other contestants were always doing wild, fun things to keep her entertained.

But this week, she didn't really dare participate in their questionable antics, because it was her dad's week in town, and he wouldn't stand for any of it. Lainey was sixteen, and he'd make sure she still acted like one, despite being around older kids. Not that she was flailing about and being promiscuous, but Nick made sure she kept level-headed. He stayed close by, and made sure she got the full time with her tutors and did her homework. It was tough to be a contestant and be a high school student, but that didn't mean she could slack off with her schoolwork.

Nick had the news on mute in the hotel room as Lainey struggled with some precalculus homework at the standard-issue bedroom table. She started pounding at her TI-83 calculator, and erasing her paper harshly. Finally, it seemed she had taken too much, so Nick stopped her.

"Baby, why don't you take a break? You've been at that for almost an hour."

"I can't figure out this problem." Lainey informed him angrily, still keeping her eyes glued on her homework. Nick knew his daughter could be very stubborn, which was sometimes good and sometimes bad. It normally help her stick the tougher things out, but she tended to overwhelm herself because she never wanted to give up. He supposed that quality was admirable if she was trying to break into the entertainment industry.

Nick got up from his spot lounging on one of the beds to stand behind his daughter. He looked over her shoulder and tried to make sense of the lesson. It was lost on him. That's why he was a scientist, not a mathematician. As he was studying the page, Lainey annoyingly shut her book, keeping her arm under the marked page.

"Dad, do you mind?" She looked up at him, as if he were invading her personal space.

Nick smirked and kissed her head. She was just like her mother. Lainey and Sara both hated it when he read over their shoulders. It was a mother/daughter shared pet peeve.

"Smart ass." He commented. "I couldn't help you with that stuff anyway. I have no idea what any of that means."

"And you expect me to learn it?" She watched him as he sat on the bed next to her table.

"Yes, I do. You've got a private tutor, Lainey. She explains everything to you on a personal basis. That's the best education possible, Lain."

Lainey didn't feel like it. No matter who tried to explain it to her, it didn't make much sense to her. She still did okay at math, but it definitely wasn't her forte. Lainey's forte, of course, was singing and dancing. Why couldn't she just concentrate on that like the other contestants? Just because she was sixteen?

"Come on, let's take a break. Go for a walk." Nick suggested again.

"I'd rather just take a nap, dad." Lainey told him honestly. Her schedule was hard enough to keep up with without other physical exertions.

"Okay, sweetheart. Whatever you feel like. I'm gonna go walk around outside a bit, okay? I'll be back in forty five minutes, and then we'll go have dinner."

Lainey just nodded as Nick helped her under the covers. After helping her lay down for her nap, Nick kissed her forehead and picked up his hotel room key. Lainey was asleep within the minute.

CSI CSI CSI CSI CSI CSI

"And now, ladies and gentlemen, please get ready to hear, from Las Vegas, Nevada….Lainey Stokes!" Ryan Seacrest announced as the nervous but somehow confident young girl took the stage.

This week's theme was 80's songs, but Lainey always seemed to find a way to make the songs into what she wanted them to be. She chose Heart's "Listen to Your Heart", but instead performed the newly remade, slower version, by DHT. Lainey was pretty proud of herself for pulling that one off; it was kind of like Carrie Underwood kicking the ass of Heart's "Alone".

As Lainey began, the camera switched to Nick, watching his daughter proudly. His eyes never left his teenager, as he watched in awe as she belted out the tune like a pro.

_Listen to your heart_

_When he's calling for you_

_Listen to your heart_

_There's nothing else you can do_

_I don't know where you're going_

_And I don't know why_

_But listen to your heart before you tell him goodbye_

_Listen to your heart, mmmmm_

_I don't know where you're going and I don't know why_

_But listen to your heart before you tell him goodbye_

Lainey finished the song, taking the high notes like she planned, and how she had to in order to make it to the next round. The camera switched again to Nick, who was shedding a few light, proud tears. He stood up and gave her a round of applause as she ended, amazed that his little girl could do this, and that all these people loved her. But they didn't love her like he did.

The Backstreet Boys, the guest judges, all congratulated her on a song well done and gave her props, kudos, and every other slang word for a congratulatory wish they could think of. Randy decided there was a hot one in the house tonight; Paula gave her usual words of complete awe and love; and Simon….

"Lainey, I think I may be starting to like you just a little bit." He said all English and proper-like. The crowd erupted in cheers at his rare display of civility or showing empathy towards another human. Nick still wanted to punch the daylights out of him, but he knew Lainey would never speak to him again. Plus, Simon's lawyers were surely better than his. Damn English people (A/N: Remember, my entire family pretty much is English, so don't even go there. I love Brits).

CSI CSI CSI CSI CSI CSI CSI

The next day, Nick woke up relatively early while Lainey still slept like a log in the other bed. At home, he would always watch the news for just a little while before getting ready, and he continued to do that during his stay in Hollywood, but kept the volume way down.

The news was the usual, about who died, and what the idiotic terrorists had done now, but then the Entertainment News segment caught him by surprise.

"Last night on American Idol, sixteen year old Lainey Stokes stole the show with her version of 'Listen to Your Heart'."

The show cut to a video of Lainey singing her heart out, looking beautiful as always. Nick smiled, knowing that Lainey was in the big times now that she was on CNN Headline News. It made him proud, but it also scared him. Look what happened to Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera. They were her age or just a little older when they started singing solo, and, needless to say, they were a bit trampish now.

Nick listened to the newscaster go on about Lainey, showing her during different performances, and then…the camera actually cut to him! There he was, on the Headline News crying. It was during Lainey's performance last night.

"Now ladies, Lainey's father, Nick Stokes, has become the focus of a lot of women across the country. The message boards for the show have been buzzing with talks of how good-looking and sweet this protective dad is. In fact, there is already a Nick Stokes fan site with dozens of members. It looks like there may be two stars in the Stokes family."

Nick stood gaping at the television screen. Him? Nick Stokes? The object of female obsession? He'd dreamed of it in college, but as a father? Nick was a little flattered, and frankly, a bit excited, but this could crush Lainey. What would she think? He looked over at his still sleeping daughter and swallowed hard. Nick was startled when his cell phone rang.

He practically jumped out of bed, fishing a shirt off the floor and heading out into the hallway so he wouldn't disturb Lainey.

"Hello?"

"It's me. Have you seen Headline News?" It was Sara, and she was giggling and snickering.

"Yes! Sara, what am I going to do? Lainey's going to kill me."

Sara snorted in laughter. They thought her husband was hot. She knew he was, but it was different being the focus of the country.

"Nick, come on. It's hilarious. It's so insanely endearing."

"What?" He shook his head around. "What, what, what? Are you crazy? You think I'm happy about this?"

"You mean you're not ecstatic at being thought of as a, quote 'sexy, beast of a man who merely must flex his muscles to cause my tender heart to explode in lust."

"Huh?"

"Quote from your fansite. By HottieinOmaha." Sara couldn't help but find this hilarious. She wasn't jealous at all, because she knew Nick would always be faithful to her. What's wrong with recognizing that he is a friggin' sexy hunk of a man?

"That's wonderful, honey. What am I gonna tell our daughter?"

"She'll think it's funny."

"Yeah, I'll let you know after she punches me in the face."

"She'll be fine, Nick. We raised her right."

"Yeah." He rubbed his face in stress. This Hollywood life was just not right for him. "I need to go wake her up now. We can talk later. I love you, sweetheart."

"Love you too, sex god."


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: Heyyyy….so I started writing a chapter tonight and I finished it…and then I realized I skipped over a bunch of stuff. So, I guess I wrote chapter eight, and then I had to go back and write this chapter! Hehe. Anyways, enjoy this chapter, cuz I have the next one ready to go. I'll go ahead and post it around noon (eastern time) tomorrow, or after I get four or five reviews (you guys rock!). Thanks for reading! Oh, and I'll be leaving tomorrow night for vacation, so I don't know when I'll update, but I'll be taking my beloved notebook with me!

"Blah blah blah blah blah" Was all Lainey Stokes could hear coming from her tutor's mouth on Thursday afternoon. She was still on for the next week, and today was one of those hit-the-studio, and unfortunately for her – hit-the-books – days. Lainey had had about enough of this showbiz paired with high school lifestyle, and right now, her drive for singing was winning that battle. She could care less about finding the cosine of some doped out triangle, and cared more about what outfit she'd wear next week. The lesson dragged on, as Nick talked on the phone for work and personal business.

"Baby, we're doing our best." Nick told his wife as he paced outside the tutoring door. Through the window, he watched his daughter looking tired and frustrated as her tutor explained some wacky math concept to her again. Nick knew math had never been his daughter's strongsuit, and her schedule caused Lainey to have very little patience for difficult concepts. He could tell she just wanted to give up, but her tutoring was required – not just by the state of Nevada, but by him and Sara.

"Yes, I received the call from her school too, and I've talked to her tutor. She just doesn't want to work right now."

Lainey had practically given up in several subject areas. Her tutors worked closely with her high school teachers, making sure the junior was keeping on track with their curriculum and up to speed with her classmates. Lainey was falling behind – she knew it, her teachers knew it, and her parents knew it. But Nick and Sara struggled with just how much they should push her. Grades were important, but this was a once in a lifetime opportunity.

"Maybe we should threaten to take her off the show." Sara threw the possibility out there, though that was the last thing the parents wanted to do.

"Sar, that's a little extreme. After another month of so, it'll all be over."

"No it won't, Sara. Then they start touring, and if she actually wins, then…she'll be a star. She won't have time for school."

"I don't care what show that girl's on. She's getting her high school diploma!" Sara was getting irate. "Not even two months ago, she was talking about going to college. What the hell happened to that? She's losing track of her goals!"

"Or are they our goals?" Nick pointed out. "Maybe she doesn't want college. Maybe this is what she wants."

"Nick, you and I both know you need a college degree to get anywhere in this country."

"Sweetheart, let's not argue about this right now." Nick could see the session was raveling up, and he wanted to talk to Lainey and her tutor again. "Lainey needs me, so I'll call you later when she goes to bed, okay?"

"Fine."

"Okay. I love you, Sara."

"Love you too."  
Nick sighed as he opened the door, where Lainey was packing up her things. He could tell she was elated the session was over.

"Lain, hold up. We need to talk." Nick told his daughter, pulling up a chair.

"Mr. Richards, do you mind if we have a talk, the three of us?" He began.

"Of course, Mr. Stokes." He said, hoping the father would back him up on Lainey's less than stellar classroom performance lately. Mr. Richards knew he would though, after seeing what kind of father the man was over the last two months.

"What kind of grade is Lainey getting right now in math?"

Lainey sighed and rolled her eyes, settling back into a defiant posture. She didn't need to be lectured about her grades right now. When she won American Idol, she wouldn't need precalculus any more.

"Right now, she's getting a C-." Mr. Richards reported. Lainey winced at the grade. Before leaving for Hollywood, she was getting a B+.

"A C-?" Nick clarified. "Now, how could that be?"

"Well, Lainey has not been putting forth much effort during our time together, and she's been snuffing through her assignments. I know she could be getting a lot more of this if she would put as much effort into it as she did singing."

Nick let the words sink in, studying Lainey all the while.

"Do you hear that Lainey? Your effort with your schoolwork has been unacceptable. Your school back in Vegas has been calling, and your teachers are about ready to ring your neck. They want to know where their honor student went. Where did she go?"

"I'm sorry, I just don't care as much anymore. I mean, how is mastering the quadratic formula going to help me hit a high E over C?"

"Delainey, school has always been important to you. And you know how important good grades are to your mother and me. Why are you slacking?"

Lainey thought she just explained that, and her body language displayed her annoyance.

"I need to start seeing more of an effort from you, or maybe we'll just need to arrange more tutoring time, Lain. Your mom and I don't want to take more of your stage time away, but school is your priority. That's not changing because you're out here. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes." Lainey muttered, wanting to run away out the door. She hated that all the other contestants were free to do what they wanted, and she was still kept under lock and key. Being sixteen and on American Idol kind of sucked sometimes.

"Good. Why don't you go grab some lunch before your vocal lesson."

Lainey stormed from her chair as soon as her father finished, anxious to get the hell out of that oppressing room.

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"I'm sorry your parents are being such pains." Colin told his friend, Lainey Stokes that evening. They sat on the roof of the hotel, just catching some fresh air after a long day of rehearsals and training. It was exhausting for anyone, but especially school-aged Lainey.

"Thanks. I just needed to get away. My dad will probably come looking for me in a few minutes, if the horde of women in the lobby can leave him alone."

Colin laughed. Despite being disturbing, the fact that Lainey's father had his own fan site on the Internet was pretty interesting.

"I think my mom's getting jealous." Lainey giggled, as Colin scooted a little closer, throwing his arm casually over her shoulder.

"How's that?"

"When the fans found out he was very happily married, they started leaving comments on the website, about how they could make him so much happier."

"You're kidding."

"Sadly, no. America wants to break up my parents."

"I don't think they do. Just a select few psychotic, lonely women." Colin bravely kissed Lainey on the temple, in a show of support. Lainey felt a little excited to be the object of his affection, but it felt a little weird. She was with Justin. But as they watched the stars that evening, Lainey couldn't be happier that someone her age was by her side, while everyone else in her life seemed to be at her throat.


	8. Chapter 8

"Are you ready for lunch, baby?" Nick asked a busy-looking Lainey as she came off the stage after rehearsing the group number for the week. It was down to the top eight, and Lainey was still riding high. After lunch, Nick would fly back to Las Vegas, and take over at home with Regan. When he arrived, he and Sara would have just a few hours together before Sara would fly out to Hollywood to be with their daughter. Though she assured her parents she was fine, Nick and Sara weren't about to leave their sixteen year old daughter alone in a city like Hollywood for any large amount of time. When they were gone, a bodyguard kept a close eye on the high school junior, but it was also her time to let her hair down a little with no parental unit.

"Sure, dad. Who do you think will get more autograph requests? You or me?"

Nick took his daughter into a head lock as they walked towards the door.

"Very funny, Delainey Stokes."

"I can't help it, comedy is my natural talent."

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Lainey sat on a couch in the hotel room lounge with her best show friend, Colin. They'd been spending a lot of time together lately, and Lainey admitted she felt a little giddy around him. It was the excitement that she felt around Justin when they first started dating a year ago. She almost forgot about Justin when Colin was around, but she couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt. I mean, come on – she was in Hollywood on American Idol. Not too many people get a chance to experience that, so shouldn't she be living it up? Her parents stressed that after work, she was definitely entitled to play a little, but she wasn't sure this was the type of playing they had in mind.

"When's your mom get here?" Colin asked, as he stroked her hair lightly. The two held hands as they looked on to the television, enjoying each other's company. Lainey glanced at her watch.

"Not for another two hours."

"Really?" He said, wiggling his eyebrows. Lainey and Colin touched foreheads and giggled. They were just leaning in for a soft kiss, when…

"I cannot believe you!"

Lainey's head whipped around to exchange a hot eye with the one and only Justin Grissom. He was livid, and looked like he had the wind knocked out of him. Lainey's heart shattered, realizing what she'd just done. Why had she been feeling so invincible with him not around? Now that he was here, she felt like an idiot. She was a heartbreaker.

"Lainey?" He was getting teary-eyed. "What is this?" Justin gestured to the male sitting next to her, looking guilty and unsure of how he should act.

"Justin, it's not…"

"Not what I think?" He finished for her. "Then what is it? Do all the contestants sit on a private couch holding hands and hovering around each other's lips? I don't think so, Lainey!"

Lainey got up off the couch, and saw her mother coming towards them, smiling. When she saw the looks on the teenagers' faces, her smile quickly dropped and a concerned expression took its place.

Lainey started crying softly, disgusted with herself for her mistake.

"Justin, I…I don't know what to say."

"You've said enough."

Justin turned and walked off outside. Lainey started to run after him, but Sara caught her daughter before she perhaps made it worse.

"Momma! He hates me! He hates me! What have I done?" She sobbed, as Sara held onto Lainey's forearms. Sara managed to pull her daughter in for a much-needed hug.

"Sssshhhhh…." The mother looked around and could see a few people being nosey, looking on to their private moment. Sara knew she had to get Lainey out of this lobby. "Lainey, sweetheart, let's get on the elevator and go to your room, okay? We can talk…"

"What about Justin?" She sobbed, hiding her face in her mother's shirt.

"He'll be fine. He just needed to go for a walk, I bet. We'll figure this out upstairs, alright?"

Lainey accepted her mother's directions and they quickly boarded the elevator, Sara turning her daughter away from the other people outside. Luckily, no one else was on the elevator, so they finally had some privacy.

"Momma, what have I done?" Lainey continued to bawl, sickened with herself. Just what had she been thinking? What had gotten into her head?

As they got off the elevator, Lainey became aware that her mother had her by the wrist and was leading her quite firmly to her hotel room. She couldn't help but be reminded that this was the way she would be dragged to her bedroom as a young child for a well-deserved time out and firm talking to. Her mother was angry alright, she realized, and she was angry with her.

Sara opened the door quite harshly and scooted her daughter inside, letting the door shut loudly.

"Go sit down, Delainey." Sara told her daughter. She immediately went to the table on the other side of the room and quickly shifted through her daughter's schoolwork. Nick had been right. Lainey had been slacking off. Papers dated from several days ago were marked with comments like, 'Incomplete', or 'Disappointing work' from her private tutors. Lainey hadn't been paying attention one bit to her schoolwork, and had instead been concentrating on her now larger than life standard of living. She was treating her parents like they didn't matter, and now she'd gone behind her boyfriend's back and was practically making out with Colin. Sara was highly disappointed in Lainey, and knew she had to set her back in place.

"Delainey Elizabeth Stokes, you _should_ be crying!" Sara started, addressing her now quietly sobbing daughter on the edge of the bed. "You have let this lifestyle go straight to your head! You think you can run around like your eighteen, twenty years old, but you can't Delainey! You are sixteen, and still a little girl!"

"A little girl? Is that what you and dad think I am? I AM sixteen, and I'm almost an adult! What right do you have to tell me how to live my life? I don't live in your house anymore!"

"Well, I hate to break it to you, missy, but your chances of longevity in Hollywood are not too great. And what's going to happen then? You'll come running back to Vegas, and who are you going to crash with?"

"I'll be making money by then, mother, so I can get my own place! And almost all American Idol contestants get record deals!"

"Lainey, do you realize how big your ego has gotten these last couple of months? You begged your father to let you do this, and he didn't want to let you. He was afraid it would change his sweet, little Delainey, and I guess he was right! We don't even recognize you!"

"Well, maybe dad's been too distracted by all the swooning women to notice! And maybe you're just jealous!"

The room was quiet for a few moments. Lainey couldn't believe the things she'd just been saying, and neither could Sara. Where had her sweet, delightful daughter gone?

"You know, Lainey, you're right. I'm so jealous that you just probably threw away the best guy you've dated in a long time, and that you're almost failing school, and that your family doesn't even know you anymore. I'm so jealous."

Lainey felt two tears run down her young, tired face. She felt terrible. She'd felt horrible after Justin caught her with Colin, but instead of making things right, she'd just made it worse.

"I'm going to find Justin before he gets too far. Maybe you should find him before he walks out of your life."

Sara left Lainey crying on the bed. Sometimes being a parent meant having to put your child back in place when she was riding too high. But if she was riding so high by herself, soon, she'd have no one with her, and she'd fall…


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: muah ha. Yeah, so this really should be the last chapter in a week or so, unless I can somehow magically find an Internet café or something in the boondock town I'm going to. Special thanks to Opal Ocean for giving a shout out to teachers! Woo hoo! Thanks to everyone who is reading and enjoying! Please keep reviewing. : )

A tearful Lainey Stokes had almost calmed down since her mother had left the room about ten minutes ago. She couldn't believe how unfair she was being! Sure, maybe the Hollywood lifestyle had gone to her head just a tad, but what sane teenage girl wouldn't be relishing in this attention? It was every aspiring singer's dream come true, and Lainey just wanted to live it up. She felt she had no one to turn to. Surely, her father would think her mother's accusations were preposterous, so she dialed him up.

"Hello?" The deep, familiar voice answered in Las Vegas.

"Daddy!" She sobbed. "Daddy, you have to come back out here! Mom is acting insane…"

"Lainey, stop!" Nick about snapped. Lainey could instantly tell that her mother had probably already called him and explained the whole deal. Great. Now he was probably on her side. "If you called here looking for pity, you dialed the wrong number. Your behavior the last few weeks has been abysmal, young lady, and I'm glad mom finally called you on it. You've been slacking off at school, smarting off to us, and now I hear you betrayed Justin? What has gotten into you?"

"I don't need this from you too, dad!"

"Well, you're getting it, because your actions have been totally unacceptable, Delainey. I talked to your mother and your school again, and your currently receiving two B's, three C's, and two D's. That's atrocious! You were an all A-B student before this competition, Lain, and your grades have all gone you know where."

"Well, I'm busy, in case in all your girl-chasing you didn't notice."

"Delainey Elizabeth Stokes, don't you dare talk to me that way!" Nick boomed over the phone. Lainey cringed at his tone. He'd never gotten that angry at her before. Had she really just said that? Oh, God, she did.

"I love your mother with all my heart, Lainey, as I do you and Reagan. You do not speak about me that way. I will never be with anyone but your mother, do you understand?"

Lainey started crying softly with disgust at herself.

"Do you understand, Delainey?" He repeated, his voice strict and irritated. She hated the way her name sounded when he spoke in this tone. It made her sound like a murderer or something.

"Yes, dad."

"Good. As I was saying, your grades are unacceptable. And your mother and I have decided, that if your grades don't improve to all C's and above, we'll take you off the show."

"What! That's so unfair!"

"On the contrary, I think it's very fair. In fact, I think it's more than fair, since your grades were all eighties and above before this fiasco of yours. So a C should be easily attainable."

Nick waited for a reaction but wasn't getting any. He could hear his daughter breathing heavily over the phone, wanting to shout something back at him, but knowing it wasn't a good idea.

"Do you understand what's expected of you, Lainey?" He asked a little softer this time. Nick had to remember that amidst all of this, there was a sixteen year old girl thrust into the national spotlight, unsure of how to deal with all this new attention and pressure. He hoped she would've handled it better, but that's why he and Sara were there – to be her parents. And it seemed she needed a good talking to her from her parents right now more than ever in her life. And, she needed a big hug and a lot of love.

"Yes." She grumbled. Lainey heard the hotel door open and in walked Sara and Justin, both looking thoroughly hurt and irritated.

"Spectacular. Is your mother there?"

"Yes."

"I need to speak with her."

Lainey handed the phone over with as much attitude as possible to her mother, who took it, not amused.

"I think your daughter still needs a little attitude adjustment." Sara commented into the phone right off the bat, glaring at her daughter.

Lainey tried to drown out the sounds of her psychotic parents conversing about her, and how awful she was lately. Not that her alternative was much better – an angry, hurt, betrayed Justin stood facing her, his hands stuffed in his jean pockets.

"Justin…"

"What?" He raised his eyebrows, waiting for an explanation.

"I…I'm sorry. I don't know what else to say. Colin and I…it's just the show. You know, we're in the same boat, and we just…"

"You know Lainey, that's just peachy for you, but guess what? I have been back in Vegas waiting for you to come home for two months now. I've been thinking about you, and missing you for eight weeks, waiting for you patiently, and all the while, you're dating some freak behind my back? Am I nothing to you?"

"No, Justin! You're everything to me! Really!" Lainey took his hand and shook it a little, trying to snap him out of this mood he was in. She didn't need yet another person disgusted with her. Lainey felt like she had no one left in the world.

"Then why do I feel like a dumb, used, leftover piece of shit right now?"

Lainey was speechless. She had no idea what to say to that. She realized she deserved it, but that didn't make it any easier to swallow. Lainey had probably just lost her boyfriend. The best thing that had happened to her in a long time.

"When you get back to Vegas, I won't be waiting for you."

Lainey was crying as Justin moved towards the doorway, not even looking back. And there he went – right out the door. Out of her life. What could she ever do to get him back? To earn his trust again? Lainey fell to her knees and just started to sob, as she listened to her mother's still livid voice in the background. Is this what being an American Idol was like? Lainey wasn't sure if she was still willing to pay the price.


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: kayyyyy...so my older brother flew into Detroit airport last night, and the jackasses LOST HIS LUGGAGE! So, we're sitting at my dad's house still in Michigan at two in the afternoon, when we wanted to leave at 9 this morning. Buttholes. Well, at least I can write some more, eh? Oh, and my family is totally obsessed with the World Cup, and they actually resorted to downloading a satellite tv station to my laptop, so we can go to an Internet cafe and watch some of the games. So, thanks to their obsession, I may actually be able to update in the week anyways. Yay...unless you hate me...sigh...anyways, enjoy this next update.

"Daddy?" A timid sounding Lainey stokes addressed her father on the telephone later that night. She'd had some time to think about how she'd been acting. She felt terrible, but that didn't mean she was going to go down without a fight. How dare they threaten to take her off the show for her grades! How embarrassing! Lainey knew it could leak out to the press, and how god-awful would that be? American Idol contestant Lainey Stokes grounded for her grades. Real nice.

"What is, Lainey?" Nick still hadn't completely forgiven his daughter. The things she'd been saying really hurt him, and he couldn't believe the ego his teenager had been developing. He knew that she would probably have her fifteen minutes of fame, but what would happen when it was all over? Lainey didn't seem to understand that family was all anyone really had to lean back on. Family and friends – and Lainey was treating them like crap.

"I'm sorry, dad." She managed, sniffling a bit.

"Alright, Lainey. I understand you're going through a rough time, but you can't forget about your family. What are you going to do about Justin?"

"I don't know, dad. I really don't."

Lainey heard her father sigh over the phone. It was one of those sighs when he knew his daughter had gotten herself into a big pickle, and she expected him to get her out of it. But not this time – this was her boyfriend, and he wouldn't intervene for her.

"Well, you'll have to figure it out. Give it some time, sweetheart, and then you really need to apologize. But it's up to him if he would want you back in his life after what you pulled."

Hearing the words come from her father's mouth made it sink in that much more. She'd done a horrible thing, and Justin may never forgive her. But it's not like she actually kissed him or did the dirty or anything. They were just holding hands and snuggling. Lainey knew this attitude wouldn't win Justin back.

"Daddy, I think I just want to quit." Lainey confessed. This was all getting too much for her. She thought this was what she wanted, but it wasn't. How did people live like this?

"What, quit the show?"

"Yes."

"You can't."

"Why not? I'm a minor, they can't keep me here."

"After all your pleading and whining, Lainey? You begged me to let you do this, and I finally gave in. You're not just quitting on me."

"But I can't take it anymore."

"There are tough things in life Lainey. No one ever said this competition was going to be easy, but it's what you wanted. I think you should see it through."

"Even if I'm miserable?"

"You may be miserable right now, but once you get your grades turned around and fix things with Justin and your family, I think you could be riding high again. Not too high again, but a good high."

"You think so?"

"Yes, Lainey. Yes, I do."

Lainey shed a tear. Her father always had so much faith and pride in her, no matter what she did. She'd royally screwed up, but he still loved her.

"We're so proud of you, Lainey. But remember to keep your feet on the ground. And you remember you're never too old for a little attitude adjustment." Nick joked.

"Dad, please!" Lainey managed to laugh.

"I'm kidding. Hey, someone wants to say hello." Nick cooed, looking down at the wavy-haired, beaming brunette clinging to his leg. He stroked Reagan's hair as she reached up hopefully for the phone.

"Lee lee!" She celebrated. Reagan hadn't spoken to her sister in quite a while, and she missed her so much. "How'd Cafalona?"

"California, you mean?"

"That's what I said."

"It's beautiful. I'm sure mom and dad will bring you back out again."

"Are you coming home for my birthday?" The soon to be five year old ask her big sister; her hero.

Lainey slapped herself on the forehead. How could she forget? Reagan was soon turning the big whole-hand. But her birthday was on Tuesday this year, the performance day. There was no one she'd be able to get away.

"Oh, Reagan. I don't know if I'll be able to make it back. It's a performance day, Rea. I'm sorry."

"You're not coming?" She checked, and Lainey could tell she was heartbroken. Damn this show. Why did she want to do this again?

"I'll be home on the weekend, Rea, but I can't make it on your birthday. I'm so sorry." Lainey wanted to cry. She could hear her little sister start to cry and get upset.

"I want the old Lee lee back!" She screeched into the phone, the last few words muffled as Nick took the receiver back.

"Sorry, Lain." Nick felt Reagan attach herself to his leg again, and he stroked her hair and pat her back as he kept talking to a now upset Lainey. "You can't help it sweetheart. Don't worry, she'll be okay."

"This is why I want to quit, daddy." Lainey sobbed. Nick felt overwhelmed with both his daughters crying on either end of the phone, as he tried to comfort both.

"I know it's hard, baby. We miss you here a lot, but things will settle down after the show again. You just keep hitting the books, and singing your heart out, Lainey, and we'll be behind you one hundred percent. But remember what we talked about, okay?"

"Okay, dad."

"Alright. We love you."

"I love you too."

Nick hung up the phone, putting it on the counter, and then reached down to pick up a sobbing, disappointed Reagan.

"Sssshhhhh…." Nick kissed her tear-stained face and held her close as she put her arms around his neck. "It'll be alright."

"Butiwantleeleehereformyberfdayandshe'snotgonnabehere!"

"I know it, baby." Nick sat down on the couch, and Reagan remained attached to him. "She won't be here for your actual birthday, but she'll come home on Friday, okay?"

"But it's not the same!"

"I know." Nick kissed her forehead and let her cry it out. There was no consoling an almost five year old whose does-no-wrong-in-her-eyes sister would be absent for her birthday.

"But you know, I bet Lainey will call you, and maybe she can even say happy birthday when she's on tv."

Reagan peeked her brunette head away from the cozy crook in Nick's neck at the prospect of a shout out on the air. She'd be famous too! Woo hoo! Reagan stopped crying and then looked at Nick, who raised his eyebrows and nodded, with a slight smile on his face. A smile slowly spread across Reagan's face and she stood up in glee, stepping right on Nick's crotch.

"Yeah!"

"Owwwwww!"


	11. Chapter 11

A/N: I suck at updating this story! So sorry. I think I know how I want to end it now though. I moved to Florida last weekend to take a teaching job, so it's been crazy. Please enjoy and review!

It was at last down to the top four on American Idol. Lainey had been thinking a lot about her experience on the show – her parents and Justin were right. It had changed her. Before, she thought it was for the better, but then she'd betrayed her boyfriend, and disappointed her parents and teachers. She'd gone fro kite-high to low within days, but now she was fighting to gain some of her integrity back. All her grades were C+'s and above now (math was still her lowest). She knew her parents were back behind her after they'd set her straight, and tonight she hoped to make things right with Justin. Lainey just hoped he was watching; that he still cared enough to watch. But if he didn't, that was just something she'd have to live with.

Sara was in the audience with Nick and Reagan watching from Vegas as their young and stunning daughter came to sit on a stool, looking thoughtful and sincere. The music began, and Lainey sang her heart out.

Notice me , take my hand  
Why are we Strangers when  
Our love is strong  
Why carry on without me?

Every time I try to fly I fall

Without my wings I feel so small  
I guess I need you baby  
And every time I see you in my dreams  
I see your face, you're haunting me   
I guess I need you baby

I make believe that you are here   
It's the only way I see clear  
What have I done  
You seem to move on easy

Every time I try to fly I fall

Without my wings I feel so small  
I guess I need you baby  
Every time I see you in my dreams  
I see your face, you're haunting me  
I guess I need you baby

I may have made it rain  
Please forgive me  
My weakness caused you pain  
And this song is my sorry

At night I pray  
That soon your face Will fade away 

Every time I try to fly I fall

Without my wings I feel so small  
I guess I need you baby  
And every time I see you in my dreams  
I see your face, you're haunting me   
I guess I need you baby

The song highlighted Lainey's voice perfectly, and the emotion she put into it earned her a standing ovation from the crowd. Lainey was thrilled, and her parents both had tears in their eyes, so proud of how mature she was becoming. But Lainey was waiting and hoping to ear from one more special person.

Ryan called the young teen over after the performance to have a post-performance to have an interview.

"Lainey, that was an amazing and really heartfelt performance. How do you feel after that?"

"I feel wonderful!" She bubbled, unable to hide her enthusiasm. "I've been working really hard this week at this song, and I couldn't be happier with the way it went."

"Anything to say to the fans that have kept you on this long as our youngest performer?"

"Well, I'd like to say thank you from the bottom of my heart. And I want to wish my little sister Reagan a happy fifth birthday, and I love you and miss you so much!" Lainey kissed her fingertips and blew it at the camera.

Hundreds of miles away, a now five year old Reagan Stokes shrieked with glee and started jumping up and down on her parents' bed, where she was watching with Nick.

"I'm famous daddy! I'm famous!" She screamed, and threw herself at his arms.

"How about that, huh?" Nick smiled, kissing his daughter all over her face, and tickling her sides.

"I miss Lainey." She admitted as she snuggled safely into Nick's arms, laying on his chest. Nick rubbed her back in support, knowing this whole experience was hard for all of them, and difficult for Reagan to understand. She thought Lainey would still be around, except for when the show was on, and missed her older sister deeply.

"I know." The father admitted, hugging his youngest tighter. "I miss her too."

Reagan was allowed to stay up each Tuesday and Wednesday night to watch her sister as long as she went to bed afterwards with no protesting. Generally, she was exhausted by the end, and tonight was no different.

Minutes later, Reagan's breathing shallowed out and she was out cold. Nick carefully transferred her into her own bed, and then went to make his favorite phone call each week.

CSI CSI CSI CSI

Sara and Lainey arrived back at their hotel room a while later, and the mood was excited and happy, as it normally was after a great performance.

"Even Simon loved it!" Lainey reeled, throwing herself on her bed.

"So you know for sure it was good if you have Mr. Nasty behind you. It was really great, Lain. I'm proud of you." Sara said sincerely, as she plopped onto her bed after a long day.

"Thanks mom. I just hope Justin was watching." She hoped the phone would be ringing soon. As if on cue, it rang seconds later. Lainey dove for the phone, picking it up within seconds.

"Hello!"

"Hey, baby girl!" Her father voice greeted her proudly. "You were so great tonight! How are you feeling?"

Lainey felt slightly disappointed it wasn't Justin, but she was always happy to hear from her dad too, now that everything was back how it should be.

"I feel really good, but exhausted." Lainey plopped down onto her own bed and rubbed her eyes.

"I bet you are. Reagan was so excited that you said happy birthday to her. That made her life."

Lainey missed her sister as much as Reagan missed her. She wished she could be home for her birthday, but they would be flying home early next week to film a homecoming segment.

"Is she there?"

"No, she's already in bed, baby. She usually falls asleep after your performance." Nick told her.

"Oh, okay. Does she miss me?" Lainey asked, just wanting to hear the words. She knew Reagan adored her.

"Of course she does. We all miss you when you're away." Nick looked at a family picture on the refrigerator. He was so proud that Lainey was going for her dreams and that she had the talent to do it, but sometimes he wished she would just come home. There was only two years left before she would be going off to college, and then she'd be gone.

"I can't wait to come home next week." Lainey smiled, thinking of her town; her bedroom; her friends; her school; her family. Whoever knew she loved Las Vegas so much until she left?

"We'll be waiting."

"Daddy, I have to go in case Justin calls me. But I love you." She told him, hoping he would understand.

A father is never prepared for when his daughter finds other important men in her life. Nick knew he wouldn't always be number one in her heart, but he would hold on as long as he could. He tried not to take it personally; Nick knew how much Justin meant to his daughter, and he was a good kid.

"Okay, sweetheart. I'll talk to you again soon. Let me know what happens with Justin. Love you."

"Love you too. Bye."

Lainey put the phone down and laid her head back on the pillow. If Justin were to call, it would have to be any minute now. If she got through to him, he would call immediately, right? That's how it happened in the movies. There's supposed to be a happy ending.

Lainey and Sara watched the television for a little while, as Lainey was on pins and needles waiting for Justin to call, but he never did. She eventually fell asleep, her heart overcome with disappointment, hurt, and shame for what she'd done. She'd screwed up and she'd never be able to fix it.


	12. Chapter 12

A/N: Alright, so I haven't updated this for, like six months!! I'm such a horrible author. I just wasn't feeling motivated for a good long while! I hope there's still interest in this story! Thanks for sticking with me, and please review!

All the contestants, as well as the audience and the millions at home were as tense as could be, just as they were every week. Each Wednesday, they all knew that one of the contestants would be going home. Lainey never got used to it. Everything always happened so fast. They'd announce whoever was going home on the air, and then the next morning they were gone. After weeks of going through hellish hours, heartbreak, ups and downs, they were gone in the blink of an eye.

However, Lainey had never been in the position she had been in now. Both she and Colin were in the bottom two this week. Ryan had drawn it out with his usual dilly-dallying and promises of finding out "after the break", and now she and Colin were standing in the middle of the stage, holding hands and looking quite worried and emotional. Lainey couldn't help but think this was not the way she wanted things to go. Justin had never called last night, even after her heartfelt and genuine performance. Didn't he understand that she was singing that song to him? That she was infinitely sorry and felt empty knowing that he was upset with her? Surely, it didn't help that she was now holding hands with Colin on national television, but that's what all the contestants did.

Finally, the moment of truth came and Lainey took a deep, shaky breath.

"Ladies and gentleman, that time has come." Ryan dragged out. "In a moment, one of these contestants will be eliminated from the competition."

Ryan turned to look at the two nervous contestants, who tried their best to put on a brave face.

"Lainey…" He began, and waited several seconds to make it more dramatic, "You are safe. Colin will be going home."

Immediately, a burst of sound came from the audience – a mixture of joy for Lainey's fans and disappointment for Colin's fans. Lainey let out a huge breath, relieved that she got to stay. She turned and gave a somber looking Colin a friendly hug. He tried not to look disappointed, but Lainey knew he was. She had been through so much with Colin, however, and she couldn't stop herself from shedding a few tears as she walked to the side of the stage so he could give his final performance.

"Ladies and gentleman, your top two for American Idol this year is Miss Lainey Stokes, and Jason Green!" Ryan announced as the music began. "And now with his farewell performance, here's Colin…"

Lainey watched from the side with mixed emotions. Lainey couldn't help but feel a little relieved that Colin would be going home. That would end all the uneasiness of having someone she was attracted to around. She wanted to be with Justin, if he would ever forgive her. Colin had helped her through a difficult time in her life, but in her heart, she knew he wasn't the one for her. It was Justin.

After the show had ended, Sara found her daughter backstage and gave her a big hug.

"Oh, baby, I'm so proud of you!" She almost squealed to Lainey as they embraced. Sara pulled back and took her daughter's face in her hands. "You did it!"

Lainey managed a small smile as she looked at her mother. Sara could tell she was feeling a little confused about her feelings. While she was obviously thrilled to be in the top two, she knew she was close to Colin.

"I bet you've got some mixed emotions, huh?" Sara asked her quietly as they stood in the midst of many people celebrating.

Lainey nodded and tried not to cry. "You could say that." She told her mother, avoiding her eyes. Sara brought her in to another hug, rubbing her back soothingly.

"It'll be alright. I know it's hard." She offered. When she pulled back again, Lainey wiped at her eyes. "Do you wanna go for a walk, sweetie?"

"Uh…no. I think I just want to be alone for a little while." She told her mother honestly. Lainey needed to process everything that was going on.

"Alright, baby. Do you need anything?" She asked as Lainey slipped from her arms.

"No, I'm fine. I…I'll see you later."

With that, Lainey disappeared and headed out the studio area and towards the elevator to go up to her room. As she waited for the elevator to come, she wiped a little at her eyes. When the door opened, she suddenly felt someone grab her from behind and push her inside. She tried to scream, but a hand closed around her mouth as she struggled against whoever it was.

As soon as the door closed, she was turned around to see Colin staring back at her.

"Colin! What do you think you're doing?" She demanded, pushing against his chest. However, Colin had a strong grip on her and a look in his eye that she had never seen before.

Colin pushed her against the back of the elevator and pressed a hard, demanding kiss on her lips. Lainey made a protesting sound as she continued to push against him.

"Colin, stop!" She demanded, getting quite frightened.

"We've been tiptoeing around this for months, Lainey. I have to go home tomorrow, and I think you owe it to spend a little personal time with me." He informed her, nibbling against her ear quite roughly, moving down to her neck.

Lainey felt betrayed and scared out of her mind. How was this happening to her? All this time, Colin had been so supportive and sweet to her, and now she could see that he was a total scumbag.

"No! I don't want this!" She continued to struggle. "Stooop!" Lainey screamed. The elevator finally stopped on Lainey's floor, and he pushed her out, holding on to her arms hard enough to leave bruises.

"Help!" She yelled, kicking the wall as he led her towards her hotel room. Lainey tried to remember everything her mother and father had taught her about what to do if she ever found herself in such a situation. She never dreamed that someone she trusted and cared for would try to attack her, and the shock of the situation was clouding her judgment. All she could do was scream and kick at the wall.

Colin quickly put his hand over her mouth again and reached into her bag to get her keycard out. He opened the door and let it shut behind them, pulling Lainey to him again for a rough kiss. They were both startled by what happened next.

The lights suddenly came on and a familiar voice filled the room.

"What in the hell do you think you're doing?" It demanded. Both Colin and Lainey turned to see Justin standing in the middle of the room, coming towards them. Lainey had never been so happy to see anyone in her life.

"Justin!" She sobbed. "Make him stop!"

Colin looked pretty shocked to find company in the room and let go of Lainey quickly, trying to think of an explanation.

"Justin! I…I'm sorry, I couldn't keep her off me." He tried to explain.

"Bullshit!" Justin barked, giving him a shove towards the door. "You have no right to put your hands on her!"

"She was begging for it, man…" Colin smiled as he backed away, and then wished he hadn't. Justin punched him hard in the face and then kneed him in the groin.

"Get the hell out of here before I call the cops! Now!" He yelled. Colin took a few steps back, touching his lip which he found was bleeding, and then reached for the door. He got out of there as fast as he could, a little more than shocked.

As they heard the door shut, Lainey started sobbing almost uncontrollably, deeply distraught over what had just happened. Justin had pulled her into his arms in a moment, hugging her tight and stroking her back.

"It's okay. It's over now. Sssshhhhh." He whispered to her. Lainey struggled to compose herself. She took in shaky breaths as the reality hit her that Justin was here. He had come back, and couldn't have picked a better moment. She pulled back and looked into his eyes as he cupped her face in his hands. Justin was surprised to see a small smile forming on her face.

"You came back." She whispered, a tear running down her cheek.

Justin smiled a little and nodded his head. "I came back." He affirmed, stroking her cheek with his thumb. "Are you okay?" He asked her gently.

Lainey let out a cleansing breath and wiped at her eyes.

"Uh…yeah. I think so." She told him. "Just a little shaken up."

Justin looked at her for a few moments and then pressed a kiss to her forehead. He brought her into another hug, remembering how good it felt to have her back where she belonged. He just held her for a few long minutes as she calmed down and her breathing returned to normal.

Lainey pulled back again and looked at Justin. "Justin, about what happened the other week. It was…we were…I'm sorry. That never should have happened, and I know I screwed up, and if you can ever…"

She was cut off by Justin's lips descending on her own, giving her a sweet, loving kiss. Lainey took a few moments to respond, but then wrapped her arms around his neck. They pulled back and looked into each other's eyes.

"I love you, Lainey." Justin whispered to her. "And I know now that you love me too. I'm not going to let some bastard jerk like him come between us."


	13. Chapter 13

Lainey felt like she was on top of the world again with Justin by her side. They spent the evening together, though it didn't last long since Lainey was so tired. Sara came up to the room later on to find Justin tucking her in to bed and placing a tender kiss on her head. She smiled at the sight, knowing that Justin had always been a perfect gentleman with her daughter. Nick may have had a heart attack if he'd seen the same sight, but Sara's heart warmed at the two young loves. As Justin turned to leave the room, he startled at Sara's voice a bit.

"She was going crazy without you." She told him, smiling. After regaining his composure, Justin smiled.

"I was going crazy without her too." He confessed, walking closer to where Sara stood, away from the bed. Sara nodded knowingly. For a while now, she'd suspected that Lainey and Justin were really meant for each other. They'd known each other since they were babies. Childhood romance. The sweet friendship they'd developed over the years had turned into love, and Sara couldn't imagine her daughter with anyone else.

"Fame can do…crazy things to people, Justin. It went to her head for a while, but I think she's finally snapping back to reality. I'm sorry she treated you that way." She told Justin. Knowing him since birth, it felt like Justin was already part of the family, and it was hard to see him and Lainey go through a rough time.

"Well, we had a long talk before she conked out on me." Justin confessed, rubbing the back of his neck and looking back at his girlfriend. "I think this has been a lot harder than she thought it would be. It's been confusing for her."

Sara nodded and almost laughed. Lainey had always had a very positive, go-getter attitude, and Sara seriously doubted that she thought of all the work when she signed up for this rollercoaster. All she saw in the past was the fun part, not the hours and hours of work the contestants put in and the emotional ups and downs.

Sara looked over at her sleeping daughter. She had never been a deep sleeper before now, but because of American Idol, she usually fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow. Her life was insane now, but Sara also knew that Lainey was happiest when she was singing. "It really has been, Justin. And I honestly think she'll be doing a whole lot better now that you're back together."

CSI CSI CSI CSI CSI CSI

Several days later, it was time for Lainey to go back to Las Vegas to film her "hometown" segment. Her parents had been telling her about all the support the town was giving her, but Lainey had a hard time believing it. It was Las Vegas, a town where people were concerned with getting rich themselves. Heck, probably about half the people in the town at any given time were just visitors. With all the glitz and glamour of Las Vegas, who would care about some sixteen year old on a singing competition?

Lainey and Sara stepped into the plane's sleeve at McCarren Airport, anxious to get home and see Nick and Reagan. As they stepped out into the airport, they saw Nick waiting there with Reagan in his arms, a gigantic smile on her face. However, there were also about two hundred more people waiting there also, with signs and the sound of cheering. Lainey was shocked. All these people were here for her?

Nick almost laughed at the look on Lainey's face when she saw all the fans that had gathered. Reagan was squealing with excitement, so he set her down so she could run to her sister. Lainey squatted down to receive her sister and gave her a warm hug. It had been way too long since she'd seen Reagan.

"Lee Lee!!" She exclaimed loudly as she held on to her sister tight. It was obvious to anyone that moment how much Reagan adored her older sister. Lainey stood up with the five year old in her arms, a huge smile on her face. Nick was walking over a little slower, and embraced his daughter warmly, giving her a kiss on the forehead.

"Good to see you, baby." He whispered, smiling at how happy both his daughters seemed. If having Lainey go on American Idol had taught him anything, it had taught him to value the time he had with his daughters and wife. Though he was incredibly proud of Lainey, it was heartwrenching to have her away from him.

"I missed you, daddy." She told him, and Nick could swear he saw tears in her eyes for a moment, but she quickly composed herself. Nick hugged his wife also, giving her a chaste kiss, and then they turned to face the huge crowd that had gathered at the gate. They were still cheering and waving at Lainey, and a multitude of little girls had pads of paper and pens wanting an autograph.

"All these people are here for me?" She asked, exasperated as they began to walk towards the direction of baggage claim.

Nick had his arm around her, ever protective, as he steered her. "Yeah, what do you think about that?"

"It's crazy. Two months ago, I was walking out of algebra class, and nobody cared." She pointed out, causing her father to chuckle.

"Maybe you should stop to sign a few autographs." He suggested, seeing how excited many of the girls were, and the many cameras. Lainey took a deep breath and nodded, handing Reagan back over to her dad. She stepped over to a clump of ten year olds who were chanting her name.

It took almost half an hour to get through the crowd, as Lainey graciously stopped to sign many autographs and pose for pictures. Nick and Sara were in awe of their daughter and the poise that she had. They knew she must be overwhelmed, but she handled herself like a pro.

Once they were finally able to get out of the airport, Nick drove them home. However, when they pulled onto their street, they became aware of about a hundred people gathered outside their house.

"Holy Shit." Lainey muttered as they pulled into the driveway.

"Delainey. Language." Nick reprimanded her, eyeing her in the rearview mirror. He didn't care how famous she got, his daughter was not going to have a dirty mouth.

"Sorry, dad." She told him as she surveyed the screaming fans.

"You have got to be kidding me." Sara commented as they drove a little closer.

Nick sighed and slowed down a little. "There's been people hanging around for days now." He told them, which scared him. "I talked to a few people at PD, and they're keeping them under control, and they're watching the house."

This was all a bit too surreal for Lainey. It was kinda cool, but kinda creepy that all these people had come to her house.

"They're stepping in my flowerbeds." Sara commented in annoyance as Nick carefully pulled into the garage. Lainey had to roll her eyes a little bit.

"Daddy, don't let 'em play in my sandbox." Reagan said as the car was shut off.

As they got out the Denali, Lainey walked over and gave a quick wave, but then disappeared inside. Having people outside her house was a little insane to swallow. She hurried inside and locked the door, letting out a huge breath. Nick raised his eyebrows from the kitchen where he was fixing everyone a drink. Sara had collapsed on the couch with Reagan curled up next to her.

"Does anyone else think this is a little creepy?" Lainey asked as she collapsed on the couch on the other side of her mother, laying her head in her lap. She didn't realize how tired she was until she laid down.

"It is slightly on the creepy side." Sara agreed as she stroked her daughter's perfectly styled hair, compliments of the show's stylist. "But that's what you get when you sign up for American Idol."

"I didn't know I was signing up for THIS." She said honestly, hearing the cheers still from outside. "They better go away."

Nick walked in with a small serving tray carrying four glasses of Coke. Lainey let out a prolonged yawn as she sat up to take her cup. It was hard not to notice how tired she looked. Even with all the make up, new wardrobe, and hair, Nick and Sara could easily tell she was getting run down.

"You tired, baby?" Sara asked her as Lainey slouched back against the couch and started drinking. Lainey nodded as she continued drinking.

"Tired doesn't begin to describe it." She played a little with the hem of her jeans, fighting back another yawn. "But that's how it is. Go, go, go."

"Maybe you should go lie down for a while." Nick suggested as he sat down to sip his own drink. Lainey chuckled humorlessly as if that was the most ridiculous thing she'd heard all day.

"Dad, I have to go make appearances in, like, an hour. Then there's the press conference with the mayor and a convo at school…" She started to name off all the things she had listed for that day.

"An hour's rest will do you good." Nick pointed out, not liking how tired she seemed. She was sixteen. She shouldn't have to be worrying about press conferences.

"I'd rather spend that hour with you guys." Lainey told them honestly. If she rested, that would be one less hour she had with her parents and little sister. Sara put her arm around her daughter and stroked back Lainey's hair, pressing a kiss to her forehead.

"Well, we love having you back, sweetheart." She whispered as Lainey rested her head on her shoulder. Lainey smiled and closed her eyes, just relishing in the realization that she was home. She never knew how much she missed it until she had to be away so much.

The next thing Lainey knew, she was waking up in her bed. Her bed. Gosh, she forgot how good it felt to be curled up under her pink and white comforter, her collection of stuffed animals staring back at her from across the room. She smiled stretched a little as the house phone rang.

Lainey yawned as she heard a knock on her door moments later. She told whoever it was to come in as she stretched her arms a little. Her father poked his head in and smiled.

"Hey, sleeping beauty." Nick told her, opening the door.

"Hi, daddy." She told him, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. Nick walked over and sat down on the edge of her bed.

"You feel better?" He asked, stroking some hair away from her forehead.

"Yeah. Did I fall asleep downstairs?"

"Mmmhmmm. I carried you up. First time I managed to carry you upstairs without waking you." He smiled a little. "When you were little, you'd always wake up on the way and make me read you a story."

Lainey laughed a little, thinking that was something she would do.

"I guess I was pretty tired. And don't worry, I won't make you read me a story." She joked.

Nick smiled again. "I called the mayor's office and told them you'd be there about an hour late." He told her, having decided when she conked out downstairs that she needed longer to sleep.

"Thanks, dad." She whispered. She definitely felt more refreshed after her catnap.

"No problem. Oh, and that was Kelly on the phone. Wanted to know if you'd like to come to a little sleepover at her place tonight."

Lainey rubbed a hand over her face. She knew she had to perform at the Bellagio that night, and then tomorrow she had to head back to Los Angeles. Was this how it was going to be all the time if she won?

"I have to…I can't, daddy. I've got that stupid thing at the Bellagio tonight, but…" She was getting upset.

"Ssshhh. Baby, calm down." Nick stroked her arm to get her to calm down a bit.

"I wanna go. I haven't been to a sleepover in like…months but I can't." She said quickly, beginning to get a bit emotional.

"Darlin', if you don't want to perform tonight, you don't have to." Nick tried to reassure her. He was still firm in his belief that Lainey still needed to be a teenager. Being on American Idol should come second to that.

"I can't just not go, dad."

"Yeah, you can." He told her. "You have been working so hard, Lainey. You deserve a night with your friends, just acting goofy, and not worrying about singing."

"I…but…" She wanted to protest, but then she didn't.

"I'll make the call." He told, smiling and raising his eyebrows as if to tell her not to protest. Lainey managed to smile slightly as Nick bent down to kiss her forehead. "You're a kid. Quit growin' up so fast." He told her, giving her a wink.

Nick stood up and gave her a pat on the leg to get her moving.

"Now get your butt out of bed and go call Kelly." He told his daughter lightly as he walked to the door.

"Thanks, dad." Lainey said, stretching once again. She stood up and walked over to her closet, opening it up. She smiled when she saw all her normal high school clothes. There was just something about a pair of simple jeans and a cute shirt that was comforting. Lainey found her overnight bag and tossed some jeans and a shirt in for later, along with some pajamas. She picked up the phone and dialed Kelly's number. It was time to act like a kid, like her dad said.

"Hey, Kelly! It's Lainey. Yeeeessss it's really me. I would love to come tonight."


	14. Chapter 14

Lainey went to Kelly's sleepover that night after her appearance at the mayor's office and her high school. She honestly had no idea how much support she had from her hometown. People wished her well wherever she went and it seemed the whole town was behind her.

However, when she got to Kelly's house, there was hardly any talk about the show. Of course there were a few questions about what it was like, but soon it was all talk about who like who, how sick they all were of school, and girl talk. Lainey was exhausted, but she had missed this sort of interaction to much that her need for this took precedence over sleep. They stayed up well past midnight talking, giggling, being silly, and just being teenagers.

When Nick came to pick her up at seven a.m. to go back to the airport, she was a zombie, but somehow looked refreshed and recharged.

"Thanks for having her over, Mrs. Walters." Nick told Kelly's mother as their girls said their goodbyes at the door.

"Our pleasure. We always love having Lainey over." She told him, still in her pj's. She was planning on going straight back to bed after they left.

Nick looked over at his daughter as she exchanged a last embrace with a sleepy Kelly.

"Thanks. I think she needed this." He told her quietly. Lainey thanked Mrs. Walters for having her as Nick picked up her bag. Together, they walked out to the Denali where Sara and Reagan were waiting. They wouldn't miss the finals for the world. Justin would fly in the day before competition to support Lainey, but he had to go to school in the meantime.

Reagan was predicatably conked out in the back seat, this early hour of the morning not agreeing with her. Nick had literally scooped her out of bed and put her in her booster seat, and she hadn't woken up yet. Lainey smiled as she climbed in next to her.

"Morning, baby." Sara greeted her daughter from the passenger seat as she nursed a cup of coffee.

"Hi, mom." Lainey said while yawning, fluffing her pillow and setting it against the window in hopes she could catch a few winks on the way to the airport.

"Did you have fun?"

"Tons, but now I'm paying for it." She told her mother. "I think I'll have to drink 100 cups of coffee to make it through."

"Well, just try to get some sleep on the way. I know you can get through it." Sara reassured as Nick began to pull out of the driveway. Lainey mumbled something incoherent and within minutes, she was out.

Several hours later, the family arrived at the Kodak Theatre where Lainey was due for rehearsals and taping. She hadn't even warmed up before one of the show's executives came up to her, not looking very pleased.

"Lainey, what on earth caused you to cancel at the Bellagio last night?" He demanded of the sixteen year old, wanting an explanation.

'To go to a sleepover' sounded like a really lame excuse now, but that's what it had been.

"I needed some time off." She told him simply, feeling cornered. Lainey was the type of kid who hated disappointing people, and the look on his face was making her feel really awful.

"Time off?" He repeated. "Do I need to remind you this is the finals of American Idol? You can't just cancel! Hundreds of people were expecting to see you. Do you know what kind of bad press we're getting?"

"I'm sorry." She told him, beginning to become upset. Her father had reassured her she needed to be a teenager first, but now she was starting to question her decision.

"You're sorry?" His voice was annoyed and irritated. "Well, sorry doesn't even begin to…"

He was interrupted by Nick's firm voice. He'd been listening in just down the hall and he'd heard enough.

"You heard her. She needed some time off." Nick informed the executive as he came to stand by his daughter in support.

"She doesn't have time to take a break. This is the number one show in the country. Thousands of people would kill to be in her position." He argued.

"She's sixteen." Nick reminded him. "A kid. I'm her father and I decided she needed a break. If that interferes with your ratings, tough luck."

He stared at Nick a few moments and gave on last glance at Lainey.

"You're due on stage in fifteen minutes. Don't be late." He told her and then promptly walked away.

Nick knew how sensitive his daughter could be, especially when she was stressed, so he immediately brought her into a warm hug. He could see tears swimming in her blue eyes before she buried her head in his shoulder.

"It's okay, Lain." He whispered softly. "That wasn't fair."

Nick heard his daughter crying and struggling to regain her composure. He just stroked her back in comfort like he'd done since she was a little girl. No matter how famous she got, she was still his kid.

After about a minute, she finally spoke. "I don't know if I like this." She told him softly, barely audible.

"Don't like what, baby?" He asked gently.

"This way of life."

Nick pulled back from their hug to take Lainey's face in his warm hands and look into her eyes.

"Well darlin', that's something you have to think about." He wiped a few of her tears with his thumbs. "This IS a demanding lifestyle and it's not for everybody. But I hope you're not letting that jerk get to you."

Lainey managed a small smile.

"No, daddy. You taught me better than that." She told him. "I just odn't know if I'm meant for this."

Nick nodded in understanding and his heart swelled with pride. Lainey was already so grown up and capable of making her own decisions. She had a good head on her shoulders. Nick knew she wanted him to tell her it was okay to quit the show. Of course it would be okay with him if she pulled out of the competition, but he also didn't want her to give up on her dreams. He didn't want her to regret quitting for the rest of her life and miss out on opportunities. But if she truly did not want to do this, she should pull out. If she won, which was very possible, her life would be an even more turbulent whirlwind.

"Baby, I know you want me to tell you it's okay to quit, and if that's what you want, then you know that's more than fine with mom and me." Nick told her. "But do me a favor and sleep on it. I don't want you doing something you'll regret."

Lainey sniffed and nodded. "That's the thing. I think I want to win so bad, but I don't know if it's the right time." She tried to explain. "I want to be a singer more than anything, but I want to go to prom, and I want to have sleepovers with my friends, and I want to hate doing history homework."

Lainey felt like she was ranting, but that's how she felt. Though being a high school student was tough sometimes, she loved it, with all its ups and downs; its frustrations and successes.

"If that makes any sense at all…" She said dismissively.

"Lainey, that makes perfect sense."

"No, it's crazy." Lainey decided. "How many people would kill to be in this position? Like the jerk said…"

"Lainey, stop." Nick told her gently. "You have a right to a childhood. You're not crazy for wanting that. American Idol may be a popular show, but you know what? It's not the only way to get into the singing business. You've gained tons of exposure, Lain. If you want to come back to it in a few years, you have a better chance than anyone."

Nick could tell his daughter really didn't know what to do. She was torn between the thing she loved to do most, and the need to be a kid. He couldn't say he understood how she was feeling, because he didn't.

"Lainey Stokes to the main stage." A voice said over the intercom. "Lainey Stokes, you're due on stage."

Lainey was flustered at the demand she be on stage when she was a mess. She tried to dry her eyes the best she could and composed herself.

"I…I gotta go." She said hurriedly, but Nick grabbed her hand.

"Lainey, you know I can't tell you what to do." He told his daughter, looking her in the eyes. "You just need to follow your heart." Nick almost whispered.

Lainey nodded as a fresh tear spilled from her eye. She hugged her dad and then half-heartedly rushed off towards the stage.

A/N: One more chapter to go!! What will she decide??


	15. Chapter 15

A/N: Howdy, readers!! So, there's gonna be one more chapter after this. It just kinda worked out that way, and MrsEads pointed out that I could make the story 16 chapters, Lainey's age! Kinda cool, huh? Anyways, here we go…

Lainey had a hard time concentrating and getting through the first part of her rehearsal after the run-in with the stage manager. It was hard for Sara and Reagan to see her struggle on stage, as they watched from the audience. Nick came in a few minutes later with a knowing and concerned look on his face and sat down next to his wife, who had Reagan in her lap.

"Daddy, Lee Lee's sad." Reagan told her father as he gave her a kiss on the head. Though Lainey was trying her best to put on a happy face, she couldn't fool her little sister, or her parents.

"I know, darlin'. She'll be okay." Nick told her, then gave Sara a chaste kiss on the lips.

"Can I go give her a hug?" She asked her parents, not liking to see her sister in this state.

"Reagan, she's in rehearsal. Maybe you can give her a hug when she has a break, okay?" Sara suggested, rubbing her daughter's arm a little bit. Reagan nodded and turned her attention back to her sister on stage.

Sara sighed and looked at her husband with concerned eyes, seeing that he knew something she didn't. 'What's going on' she mouthed to him.

Nick leaned in close to his wife's ear so he could whisper without Reagan hearing.

"The stage manager was being a real jerk to her about missing the Bellagio last night, and now she's thinking of quitting the show." He informed her as quietly as he could. Sara immediately turned her head and gaped at her husband. Nick nodded, a sympathetic look on her face.

"What did you tell her?" She asked, not bothering to whisper. Nick, however, still leaned in to her ear again and whispered.

"I told her it was okay with us, but to sleep on it. It's a big decision, and she's come this far."

Sara sighed and nodded her head.

"I keep worrying about this show and its effect on her." She told him. "It's too much pressure for a sixteen year old."

Nick agreed with her in a way, but if he'd learned anything about Lainey the last few months, it was that she could handle a lot more than they gave her credit for. She was a very strong young lady, and he had come to realize she was already quite ready to make decisions on her own.

"We've got a tough kid, Sar. She'll figure it out." Nick told her, confident in Lainey. Sara smiled at her husband.

"Funny, I couldn't imagine you saying that before this all began." She told him, finding it a little humorous. Nick was the most overprotective father she knew.

Nick chuckled to himself and looked at his daughter, practically a grown woman, up on stage. "Well, I think she's tougher than I gave her credit for."

CSI CSI CSI CSI CSI

Lainey sighed as she stepped off the main stage at the end of a long day. The show was in two days, and she was still at odds as to whether she should continue with it or not. She sighed as she walked down the steps and gasped when she felt something attach to her legs. Lainey quickly calmed and smiled when she realized it was her little sister.

"Lee Lee!" She smiled, hugging her beloved sister tight. After a hard day, it was nice to be greeted with a hug. Lainey would pick her up if she wasn't completely exhausted.

"Hey, squirt." She tried to sound peppy, but it was obvious she was drained. "What have you been up to?"

"Watchin' you." Reagan told her as they walked towards the dressing room.

"You were?" Lainey asked as she pushed the door open. Immediately, Reagan took off and did a flying leap towards the huge couch on the other side of the room. She thought it was the comfiest thing ever.

"Uh-huh. I think you're gonna win!" She told her sister as she started jumping up and down on the couch. Lainey smiled and sat down, tickling Reagan's stomach to get her to laugh and stop jumping.

"If mom and dad catch you doin' that you might not get to go to the show." Lainey warned her, raising her eyebrows, but smiling. Reagan gasped and then stopped, tackling her older sister until she was tickled into fits of laughter. Lainey had always been the cool older sister.

A few moments later, Lainey stopped tickling to let Reagan catch her breath. The five year old curled up against her sister as she calmed down. She missed being able to snuggle with her big sister, but knew millions of people got to enjoy her singing on stage each week.

Nick and Sara didn't think Reagan had heard them talking in the theatre about Lainey quitting, but she had. She didn't want her big sister to quit because she knew she was the best. Sure, she missed seeing her every day, but Reagan knew singing was what Lainey was meant for.

"Lee Lee, you're not gonna quit the show are you?" She asked her big sister softly after a few quiet moments.

Lainey did a double take.

"Where'd you hear that?"

"Momma and daddy." Reagan told her simply.

Reagan sighed. Good news sure traveled fast.

"Well, doing this week after week is tiring, Rea." Lainey admitted, as she began to stroke Reagan's hair gently.

"But you're really good!" Reagan pointed out. "I don't want you to quit."

Lainey smiled. Reagan had so much faith in her.

"Will you sing for me?" She requested, looking up at Lainey with hopeful eyes. It was rare now that she got a chance for a personal concert like she used to get at home.

"Sure." Lainey agreed, and then cleared her throat a little bit.

"I hope you never lose that sense of wonder." She began singing their favorite song predictably, "You get your fill to eat, but never lose that hunger. May you never take one single breath for granted. God forbid love ever leave you empty handed…"

"I hope you never fear those mountains in the distance. Never settle for the path of least resistance. Give the heavens above more than just a passing glance. And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance, I hope you dance." Lainey sang, with Reagan quietly humming along with her. The words to the song were making Lainey think a lot. Should she really quit just because she was afraid of what might happen? She had come this far – wouldn't it be a shame to quit now? If she did, Lainey was afraid she would regret it for the rest of her life.

Reagan watched and listened to her sister sing with the awe that she'd always shown, and somehow Lainey knew that she couldn't quit when her little sister was watching.

CSI CSI CSI CSI CSI

The day of the show, Justin flew in from Las Vegas to come watch his girlfriend perform. They'd talked over the phone about whether or not she wanted to continue, so he knew where her head was.

That evening, after Nick, Sara, and Reagan had all wished her luck in the dressing room before heading out to the audience, Justin hung back to have one last word with her.

He rubbed her arms supportively as he looked into her eyes.

"You okay?" He asked her gently.

Lainey sighed and then nodded a moment later. "I think so."

"You don't have to do this if you don't want to." He reminded her seriously.

Lainey kind of rolled her eyes and shifted her weight around on her feet.

"Justin, there's hundreds of people in the audience waiting for me, not to mention the millions at home." Lainey pointed out. "I can't just not do it."

Justin smirked at his girlfriend.

"Well, when this is all over and you win, it doesn't mean you have to do this forever."

"I know." She told him softly, though she wasn't convincing him.

Justin leaned in and gave her a tender kiss on the lips.

"You're amazing." He whispered when he pulled back slightly. "You just remember that when you're up there. And whatever happens, I'll be here for you."

Lainey felt tears stinging in her eyes as she wrapped her arms around his neck for a warm hug. She nodded and then gave him a slow, sensual kiss.

"Thank you." She whispered to him. "And I love you."

"I love you too, Lainey Stokes." They shared another sweet kiss before Lainey had to head back stage and Justin to the audience for the show.

Minutes later, Lainey was waiting back stage for Ryan Seacrest to announce the two top competitors.

"Ladies and gentlemen, after millions of your votes last week, you decided our top two. Tonight, they will compete for the honor of being your next American Idol. Here to perform for you this evening are…Jason Green…"

The crowd wooted and applauded for the first competitor as he came on stage.

"…And Lainey Stokes!"

Lainey took a deep breath and stepped into the bright lights of the American Idol stage for the last night of performance.


	16. Chapter 16

A/N: The end is here! The final chapter!! The song I'm featuring Lainey singing is "You Don't Have to Let Go" by Jessica Simpson. It is the sweetest song! I highly recommend you go download it legally! Without further ado, here is the conclusion…(please review!!!)

Lainey hadn't been very nervous all season long, but the hype and the pressure of this final show had her literally trembling. Luckily, it wasn't really visible to the audience, but of course her family and boyfriend all knew how nervous she was.

Jason Green was to go first, so Lainey scuffled backstage while he performed an amazing rendition of "Another One Bites the Dust". Lainey knew that Jason was really good, and the competition was nail-biting close, so his performance and the cheering from the crowd made her gulp.

Both Jason and Lainey were to perform two songs each that night, and Lainey had decided to make both her song choices about her family. Both were very personal, and Lainey hoped she could get through them without shedding some tears. However, she knew the songs would have special meaning to her parents and sister.

Finally, it was Lainey's turn for her first performance. The show ran a pre-performance feature as she took the stage.

"This first song, I'm dedicating to my parents, because they have been so supportive of me throughout my whole life and this competition." On the tape, her voice started to crack a little.

"And they've never given up on me, and they're always there when I need their help." She told the camera as a tear fell from her eye. The short video featured footage of her with her parents throughout her childhood, and during the show. "This is for you, mom and dad. I love you."

Lainey took a deep breath and calmed herself as the stage lights came on to spotlight her. Why'd they have to play those things right before a performance?

_I don't need your strength anymore_

_Cuz you've made me strong_

_You may not see the woman in me_

_That you dreamed of holding me in your arms_

_All the days that you gave,_

_All the moments you saved me_

_Praying for my life, _

_Sacrifice just to make me_

_Who I am on my own_

_You don't have to let go_

_You don't say it, but it's in your eyes_

_All the fear of goodbye_

_But I can promise_

_You'll always have a place and_

_A way to my heart_

_All the days that you gave_

_All the moments you saved me_

_Praying for my life, _

_Sacrifice just to make me_

_Who I am on my own_

_You don't have to let go_

_I can live, cuz you live for me_

_And I can love because you love me_

_All the days that you gave_

_All the moments you saved me_

_Praying all my life, _

_Sacrifice just to make me_

_Who I am on my own_

_You don't have to let go_

Nick and Sara along with much of America were having a hard time not crying by the end of the song. The camera focused on Nick and Sara part of the song, showing them struggling not to shed tears, but failing.

"Daddy, don't cry!" Reagan told her father as the show finished. Nick chuckled a little uncomfortably as he wiped his eyes with his shirt sleeve and then stood up with Reagan in his arms to applaud.

"Sorry, darlin', I can't help it." Nick told her, giving her a kiss on the cheek. He gave Sara a kiss on the cheek also as they stood to give her a standing ovation along with rest of the crowd.

Lainey smiled and wiped at her eyes as she faced Randy, Paula, and Simon. Paula was predictably crying also.

"Yo, yo, Lain. Keep it together, dawg. It's alright." Randy told her, smiling. Lainey laughed a little and tried to compose herself. "Alright, dawg, that was, seriously one of your best vocal performances. I could definitely feel the emotion. We got a hot one tonight!" He said louder and clapped his hands together.

Paula just kept crying and couldn't say anything, so Ryan skipped over to Simon, who was chewing on the end of his pen.

"You'll have to excuse Paula, it's her time of the month." He told Lainey, and received a swat from her co-judge. "Lainey, I think if your second performance is as sensational as that was, Jason is going to be in some major trouble."

CSI CSI CSI CSI CSI

Jason Green sang "R-E-S-P-E-C-T" for his second song, bringing the crowd once again to their feet and earning praise from all three judges. Lainey's second song was "I Hope You Dance", which she dedicated to her little sister. Reagan about wet her pants with excitement.

At the end of the song, when Ryan went to talk to Lainey about the performance, he invited Reagan up on stage and she about died and went to heaven. The smile on her face lit up the whole room as Lainey lifted her up and perched her on her hip.

"Is there anything you'd like to say to America, Reagan?" Ryan asked her.

Reagan thought for a few moments before responding, "I like grapes!"

Lainey burst out laughing along with the crowd. She whispered something in her little sister's ear.

"And vote for Lainey!" She added.

CSI CSI CSI CSI CSI

Later that evening, after the show had ended, Lainey and Justin laid out on the roof of the hotel just looking at the stars with their hands clasped together.

"My dad's ordering the entire lab to vote for you at least once." Justin confessed as he stroked the back of her hand with his thumb.

Lainey chuckled and shook her head. "Really? That sounds like something he would do."

"He found out someone from days voted for Jason last week, and let's just say he got stuck with the shittiest cases." Justin told her, smiling.

"Your dad's insane." Lainey joked as she gazed up at the star-studded sky. "Now I know where you get it from."

"Ha. Ha." He deadpanned and then sighed. They were silent for a few moments, and then Justin turned serious. "Lain, you were amazing tonight."

Lainey turned her head to look at him, and she could see he wasn't joking with her now. "Really? Thanks, Justin."

"And I was wondering…if you're not busy…would you go to the prom with me?" He asked a little nervously, though Lainey had no idea why he would be. They'd been going out for quite a while now.

Lainey beamed and gave her boyfriend a sweet kiss. She had been dreaming of going to the prom for years now. Even after being on the American Idol stage, there would be something magical about going to her first prom.

"I'd love to go. I'm not missing prom for anything."

CSI CSI CSI CSI CSI

The next evening, Lainey felt like she wanted to go curl up in a corner with all the pressure. The last six months had been building up to this night. Of course she never thought she'd be competing in the final show, but she was there. She tried not to watch the news or go on the Internet at all, not wanting to get caught in all the hype and stress herself out. Lainey knew both she and Jason had given outstanding performances the night before, and was going to be a very close race.

The show started, and they gave their standard live performance as the final two contestants. Lainey was amazed at how good it felt to perform that night, with all the pressure of voting gone. She just got to concentrate on her singing without trying to impress the judges and America.

Ryan did his trademark dilly-dallying, dragging it out despairingly. Lainey wanted to slap him and take that envelope right out of his hand just to get it over with. Nick held Reagan tightly in his lap, his hand clutching to Sara's as they awaited the results at the end of the show.

Jason and Lainey stood very nervously in the middle of the stage, holding each others' hands. Both of their hands were clammy and heart rates were skyrocketing.

"Ladies and gentlemen, after almost 40 million votes, and the closest vote in the show's history, your winner of American Idol…will be announced after the break."

Everyone groaned. Did anyone really like him?

After the commercial break, Ryan finally got back to business. It was almost ten o'clock, so everyone knew this was it. He was actually going to announce it this time.

"As I was saying. The closest vote in American Idol history." He turned to the two nervous contestants, and you could hear a pin drop.

"After your votes, America, the winner of American Idol is….Jason Green!"

The crowd erupted in cheers and a little bit of disappointment for Lainey. However, Lainey smiled widely as she embraced Jason graciously. Confetti poured out and music rang out in the theatre.

The next few minutes were a blur for both Jason and Lainey, as he took the stage for the last time. As Lainey stood by for his performance, she realized she actually wasn't very disappointed. This seemed to be the way it was supposed to be. She entered this competition because she loved singing. Lainey knew she wanted to spend the rest of her life singing, but she wanted to be a kid first and foremost while she had the chance. Too many people gave up their childhoods for showbusiness. And though she knew she would've been happy winning also, she was somewhat relieved that she hadn't. Trying to finish high school on time would've been a joke. Realistically, she probably wouldn't be able to go to the prom with Justin. Plus, she wasn't ready to be away from her family for long just yet. She'd come and done what she had intended to do, and had a blast doing it.

After the show had finished, Reagan pummeled her sister backstage.

"Lee Lee!" She screeched, with a big smile on her face as Lainey picked her up.

"Reagan!!" Lainey practically screeched just as loud, giving her numerous kisses on the cheek. "Mmmm I love you so much."

"Love you too, Lee Lee." Reagan told her. "Sorry you didn't win."

"That's okay." Lainey smiled, as her parents and Justin walked over to join them. "I think it's better this way."

"Momma says you get to come home now!" Lainey pointed out excitedly. Minutes before, Reagan had been crying that her sister didn't win. It had been a long day for her, and she thought the world of Lainey. However, Sara had pointed out that now she would get to spend more time at home.

"That's right." She told Reagan, readjusting her on her hip. "And I couldn't be happier." She admitted.

Sara and Nick smiled, and she reached over to take Reagan from Lainey's arms so she could give everyone a hug.

"I'm so proud of you, Lainey." Nick whispered to his oldest as he gave her a big hug and a kiss on the cheek.

"Thanks, daddy." She told him. "And I really am glad I get to come home now. I missed you guys too much."

Nick smirked and pulled back. "Really?" He held up several business cards. "Because I got cards from several record execs who are interested in signing you."

Lainey gaped as she took the cards from her father and sifted through them.

"Are you frickin' kidding me?" She squealed.

"Language, Lainey." Nick reminded her.

"Sorry, dad." She apologized as she looked through them again. Lainey looked up and noticed Reagan was watching her, a little worried. She gave them back to her father.

"Put these in a safe place, daddy." Lainey requested. "Maybe in a few years I'll get back into it, but for now, I'm going to prom, and I'm gonna tickle the giggles out of Reagan." She threatened, smiling as she reached out to tickle her little sister in her mother's arms.

It took some people a lifetime to get their priorities straight, and his sixteen year old daughter seemed to have it all worked out. Nick beamed with pride as they all began walking towards the door.

"You got it, darlin'."

THE END!!! FINALLY!! AFTER A WHOLE YEAR!!

Thanks so much for sticking with me. I hope you liked the ending, and don't hate me because I made her lose. : ) Please let me know what you thought! Hugs and kisses, bauerfreak


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